Stormy Weather II: The Worst Enemy
by matahari2
Summary: * COMPLETE * AU – Sequel to Stormy Weather I: Lee and Amanda struggle against their toughest adversary
1. Holding Pattern

Stormy Weather II  
  
Summary: AU - Sequel to Stormy Weather: Lee and Amanda struggle against their toughest adversary  
  
Timeframe: April, 2002  
  
Disclaimer: The wonderful original characters from the CBS television series Scarecrow and Mrs. King are the property of Warner Brothers and Shoot the Moon Productions; they don't belong to me, nor will I get one dime for writing this story. The story and all of the new characters, however, are mine. Please don't archive without my permission. This story will be archived at the SMK Fanfic Archive and at www.fanfiction.net. All others-please ask.  
  
Feedback: Yes! Please! Read and Review!  
  
Chapter One - Holding Pattern Stetson Residence - two days after Jamie's return  
  
The comforting scents of an all-American homemade dinner still hung in the air, long after the majority of the partakers of said dinner had exited the scene. Jenny had gone upstairs to catch up on the homework she'd set aside for the last several days. Lee and Phillip had taken the unusually warm, lazy Sunday afternoon as an opportunity to bond while washing and waxing Phillip's '99 Corvette out in the driveway. Only Amanda and Jamie remained. Pushing away from her place at the dinner table and picking up both Jamie's plate and her own, Amanda asked, "Are you sure you don't want any apple pie? Is there anything else I can get you?"  
  
"No thanks, Mom-really," Jamie answered, rubbing a hand over his full stomach. "After all the fried chicken and mashed potatoes and corn-on-the- cob, and everything else we had for dinner, I don't think I could manage one more bite." As he followed her into the kitchen with their silverware and glasses, he was quick to add, "It was great, though, especially after all the meals I missed, you know. . .over there."  
  
"Thank you, Sweetheart. I'm glad you liked it," she said, with a sweet smile on her lips as she took the glasses and silverware and put them into the sink. Amanda tried not to think about all that Jamie had been through 'over there'; she just wanted to enjoy having him home with the family. She rinsed the last of the dishes and bent to place them into the dishwasher, when she saw Jamie trying to stifle a yawn. "Pretty tired, aren't ya?" she asked, as she closed the dishwasher and flipped its lever.  
  
"Mm-hm," Jamie replied, holding his hand over his mouth to cover another yawn. "Guess I'm still kinda jet-lagged. I think maybe I better go lie down," he said, as he turned and headed for the stairs.  
  
"You go right ahead, Jamie," she answered. Stuffing her fingers into the front pockets of her jeans, she rocked back and forth on her heels as she called up to him, "I'll be right here if you need anything!"  
  
"Thanks, Mom. . ." he trailed off as he padded on up the stairs.  
  
Thinking that the room felt a little warm, what with the steam from the dishwasher and the heat from the oven, she walked over to the kitchen window and opened it a little ways to let in some fresh air. As she started to sponge off the kitchen counters, she couldn't help hearing two male voices, apparently deep in conversation just below the window.  
  
********  
  
She heard Phillip's voice first. "Sure is a small world, isn't it? I mean. . .go figure. My brother goes all the way to Afghanistan, gets himself kidnapped by a group of Al Qaeda wannabe's, and ends up meeting one of my old friends from high school. Weird, huh?"  
  
"Yeah. . ." Lee answered with a reflective smile and a brief nod, "it is, at that." He focused his attention on the toothbrush he was using to clean the crevices in the wheel cover and appeared to be deep in thought.  
  
Phillip rubbed a chamois in wide circles over the freshly waxed hood. Looking up from his task for a second, he said, "Hey, Lee. . .can I ask you something?"  
  
"Sure, Chief," Lee answered from the opposite side of the car.  
  
"How could you not have seen me the other night? I mean, I always thought you were a good, defensive driver. . .at least that's how you taught me to drive, and. . ."  
  
Lee dropped the toothbrush and wiped his hand on his jeans before he looked up at Phillip. He glanced at the ground for an instant and slid his fingers down over the back of his hair. "Oh. . .you mean, about almost. . ."  
  
"Yeah," Phillip interrupted, "the other night, when you almost sideswiped this car on the Beltway! I mean I know you were worried about Jamie at the time, but hey, we all were. So what's up, Lee?"  
  
"You do have a way of getting right to the point, dontcha?" Lee teased, as he stood up to lean his back against the big old elm tree. "Well. . ." he began, shoving his hands into his pockets. "To tell you the truth, I wish I knew. See, it's only happened two times while I was driving-there was our near-miss, and another one the night before," he confessed. He kicked away from the tree and walked back toward the car as he thrust a hand up anxiousy, saying, "Phillip, it scared me to death. . . thinking you could've been hurt. . .and all because I couldn't see your car until it was almost too late!" He dropped his hand to his side and locked eyes with his stepson as he said with all the sincerity he could muster, "Hey. . .I'm really sorry!"  
  
"It's okay. . .we both survived," Phillip said, holding up his hand in a wave of dismissal and concentrating on the car's hood once again. Then in a flash, he whipped his head up as he shouted, "Wait a minute! Did I hear you say you couldn't see?" He absently continued to move the chamois around as he inquired further, "Was it like you suddenly couldn't see anything, or was it more like your range of vision was narrower than normal?"  
  
"Yeah. . ." Lee started, gazing off into the distance for a moment, collecting his thoughts. He turned his eyes back toward his stepson, saying, "I could still see most things. . .just nothing, you know, off to the side."  
  
Phillip nodded, then looked directly into Lee's eyes. "Let me ask you another question," he began. "Have you been having a lot of headaches lately?"  
  
"What are you. . .psychic, Doctor King?" Lee asked, with a wink and a lopsided grin. At Phillip's no-nonsense expression, he confessed, "Well, all right. . .yes. . .now that you mention it, I have been having headaches. . .for over three weeks now. Seems like they're the worst in the morning. Usually they get better as the day wears on, but for the last several days, they've just hung on. . ."  
  
"And no amount of pain reliever seems to help, right?" Phillip interjected, a concerned frown on his face. "Have you seen a doctor yet?"  
  
"No, but. . ." Lee started, but not before his stepson the surgical resident could interrupt.  
  
"No buts, Lee-you need to see a doctor right away!" Phillip warned.  
  
"Okay, okay. . .cool your jets, Chief!" Lee said, moving his hands, palms down, in a 'quiet down' motion. "I already made an appointment. . .Friday, 9:00 a.m. Now. . .are you satisfied?"  
  
"I guess so," Phillip said, in grudging acceptance. "D'you tell Mom about it?" he asked, as he rubbed the chamois over the sleek, black fender. He looked across the car into his stepfather's eyes as he waited for the answer.  
  
Lee started to rub over the fender on his side of the car as he considered his reply. "Well. . .she knows about the headaches and the first near-miss accident, and I guess from what she tells me, you all think I've been more than a little irritable lately."  
  
"You can say that again," Phillip muttered under his breath. Then he looked up, realizing Lee had probably heard him, and he said aloud, pointing a finger at his stepfather and friend, "but seriously, Lee, you keep that appointment, okay?"  
  
"You bet," Lee answered. "You know your mother'll see to it!" He heard a soft click, and looked up over Phillip's head to see the kitchen window closing. He rolled his eyes slightly as he went back to helping Phillip polish the car.  
  
********  
  
After closing the window, Amanda filled a large mug with water and placed it into the microwave oven, setting the cook-timer and touching the 'start' button as she mulled over the pieces of the conversation she'd overheard. Neither Lee nor Phillip had told her about their almost-accident on the Beltway. 'Probably didn't want to upset me,' she figured, her eyes focused on a distant unseen object as she opened the box of cinnamon tea bags. She couldn't help remembering how shaken Lee had been by his first near-miss on the highway, the night he'd followed her home from the repair shop. She'd known something was wrong night before last, too, when he'd looked so worried even as Francine had called to give them the good news of Jamie's escape. The microwave's loud ding-ding-ding startled her, and she shuddered in surprise before taking the mug out and dipping one of the tea bags into it. She set the mug down on the counter top, taking in a few calming breaths as she ran shaking hands down the sides of her jeans. She could tell from his questions that Phillip must have suspected something about Lee's condition. . .something he might have learned in med school, or in his job as a surgical resident. What could it be? In her heart of hearts, she wasn't sure she wanted to know-the possibilities were too frightening. Her brows drew together as she thought about Lee's every-morning headaches becoming worse. That was definitely something she'd worry about until they had some real answers. Friday couldn't come soon enough.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	2. More Storms in the Forecast

Stormy Weather II  
  
by matahari2  
  
Summary / Disclaimers, etc.: See Chapter 1  
  
Feedback: Yes! Please! Read and Review!  
  
Chapter Two – More Storms in the Forecast  
  
Stetson Residence – Early Friday Morning  
  
"Amanda!" Lee yelled from the recesses of the walk-in closet, "what happened to my dark blue suit? I just wore it about a week ago, and now I can't find it!"  
  
About a dozen innocent wooden suit hangers clacked together, victims of his frenetic search, before Amanda stepped in and found the suit he'd been looking for, just inside the door. She touched his hand to gain his attention, then smiled sweetly as she lifted the hanger, saying, "It's right here, Lee."  
  
Lee mumbled a quick "Thanks" and swiped the hanger from her hands, dashing back into the bedroom and laying the suit on the bed. Amanda didn't fail to notice that he pressed the fingers of his left hand across his forehead, scrunching his eyes closed for a moment before picking up his pants and hurriedly pulling them on.  
  
"Another headache?" she asked softly, as she quietly crossed the distance to stand beside him.  
  
When she reached a hand up to touch his shoulder, he shuddered and spun his head around to face her, shouting, "What?!? Amanda! Please. . .don't creep up on me like that!" At her shocked expression, he searched her eyes and touched her forearms gently, sliding his hands down to her wrists and lightly holding her fingers. "Hey. . .I'm sorry," he said, this time in a much quieter tone of voice. "It's just that I didn't see you coming, and. . ."  
  
He interrupted his own train of thought as a look of confusion passed across his face. Then he continued, "Wait. . .did you ask me something?"  
  
"Yes, Sweetheart," she answered, slipping one of her hands free and reaching up to smooth back a few loose strands of hair that had fallen onto his forehead. "I asked if you were having another one of your headaches."  
  
"Yeah. . ." he said, nodding and studying the carpet fibers for a moment. He looked up into her eyes and asked with a self-deprecating grin, "What was your first clue. . .that I'm not exactly 'Mr. Congeniality' this morning?"  
  
She gave him a small smile with her answer. "Well. . .there is that," she began, with a quick wink. Then the worry began to show in her eyes, as she gripped his hand tightly and admitted, "But Lee, I saw that look of pain on your face just a moment ago. You can't hide it from me all the time. . .you know?"  
  
"Oh yeah. . .I know," he whispered, tipping his head to the side and rolling his eyes. As he shifted his gaze off to the side, he caught sight of the large red numbers on the bedside alarm clock, 7:50, they said. He turned to face her again, giving her hand a gentle squeeze and saying in a husky voice, "Speaking of which. . .time, that is. . .I guess we'd better get going. . .but not before this," he said, giving her a soft kiss and pulling her into his embrace, just as the doorbell sounded.  
  
Stretching back to look into his eyes, Amanda couldn't resist saying, "You know something, Mr. Stetson? You really need to work on your timing!" She quickly returned his kiss before he could respond, and turned on her heel toward the doorway. "That'll be Mother," she said, looking back over her shoulder as she started to descend the stairs.  
  
"Be down in a minute," he called to her as he started working on his tie.  
  
********  
  
Agency Clinic Waiting Room – Friday 9:30 a.m.  
  
"Lee!" Amanda said in a whispered shout over her magazine, "Sit down! Shoot, you're going to wear out the carpet, pacing like that!"  
  
He stopped to turn and glare at her, tapping on his watch with his index finger as he groaned, "A-man-da! An appointment's an appointment, y'know? What is it with doctors, anyway?" he asked, throwing his hands up in frustration. Then he started pacing again and beginning his list of reasons why he should be anywhere else but in a doctor's office. "There are a lot of other things I could be doing. . .should be doing right now. I've got a stack of agents' reports I need to sign off before they can go to record storage, and there's the budget cuts we have to work out for Field section and. . ."  
  
"Lee. . .stop. . .please?" she pleaded, reaching out to tug at his hand and stop him mid-stride, motioning with her head for him to come and sit down beside her.  
  
He scowled first, but he complied, albeit grudgingly, slumping into the chair and grumbling under his breath, "Doctors!"  
  
At that precise moment, the friendly-faced nurse opened the door holding a manila folder in her hand. "Mr. Stetson?" she asked.  
  
Lee's mouth went dry and he gripped Amanda's hand once more, turning to her before responding with a nod to the nurse. "Go on! I'll be right here," Amanda mouthed silently, watching him as he slowly made his way toward the examining room. Her heart ached for the lost, scared little boy who still made his existence known at times like these. She knew Lee would rather she went in with him, but she also knew it wasn't customary doctor's office protocol, so she'd wait patiently, at least for the moment.  
  
********  
  
Dr. Avram Samad slid his reading glasses into position below the bridge of his nose as he carefully perused the notes he'd written in the file during the examination. He placed the file down on the instrument cabinet and pulled his glasses off, folding the earpieces in and gesturing with the spectacles as he spoke. "Mr. Stetson, I must tell you that your headaches concern me, indeed, they concern me very much, especially the timing, you understand? . . .that they seem to come on strongest upon waking. And then there is this trouble with your peripheral vision. . .you tell me this is a recent occurrence, correct? Yes," he said, answering his own, apparently rhetorical, question, before Lee could open his mouth. "And then of course, you have admitted to me that along with the headaches has come a certain degree of irritability. These symptoms, put together, could very well be indications of. . ." Dr. Samad started to say, but Lee could see the look on the man's face as he appeared to change his mind. As though he'd flipped a switch in his brain, the doctor went on without missing a beat, "Well then, let's run some tests, shall we? First, a thorough blood work-up, and then an MRI of the brain and a series of skull X-rays. . ."  
  
After Dr. Samad had run through the series of tests with Lee, he guided him back to the receptionist's desk, handing her the test orders and Lee's file. The two men shook hands, and the doctor walked back toward the examining rooms. Lee called Amanda over, and they worked out the appointment times for each test.  
  
As they wound their way through the Agency corridors, Amanda prodded, "Well? What'd he have to say?"  
  
"Not much, actually," Lee answered, his disappointment showing in his downcast eyes. As they continued their walk toward the bullpen, Lee went on with his brief report. "I mean, he went through all the symptoms we know about, and he started to say something about. . .that they could be a strong indication of. . .something, but he didn't say what, exactly. He just said, Let's run some tests, shall we?" Lee imitated, in the doctor's chirpy, sing-song style.  
  
Amanda couldn't stop the small chuckle that tickled her throat, but as Lee finished telling her about the tests the doctor had ordered, her worry- quotient kicked up several notches. "Lee, I don't want to upset you, but those tests. . .I mean other than the blood tests. . .everybody has blood tests. . .well, anyway, the MRI and the skull X-rays, and I think you said something about. . .they might do additional tests, like a CT scan and maybe even a PET scan depending on what the other tests show. . ." she said, all in a rush, hesitating as they crossed the bullpen and walked into his office. She wasn't sure she wanted to finish what she'd started to say. She simply stood there, frozen in place, her eyes hollowed with fear, as Lee closed the blinds and wrapped his arms around her tenderly, resting his chin on her shoulder as he whispered in her ear, "I know, I know."  
  
She slipped her hands around his waist and held on for dear life.  
  
********  
  
On the way home from the Agency that evening, Lee reached over and took Amanda's hand and said, "We agree then. As far as the family's concerned, I'm simply having some tests to see what they can do for my headaches, right?"  
  
"Right," Amanda answered from behind the steering wheel, her eyes fixed on the road ahead of them.  
  
"Because that's all we actually know. . ." he began.  
  
Amanda interrupted, "I guess that's true. . .in a way. . .well. . ." she hedged, flashing a sidelong glance at her husband. "It's all we know. . .for sure."  
  
********  
  
Over the weekend, Lee and Amanda did their best to fill the days with activities for Jenny, and to deflect her persistent questions. Amanda took her to Applegate Farm Stables for her riding lesson on Saturday morning, and the three of them drove into town to take in lunch and a movie. . .the first decent G-rated movie they'd been able to find in a long time. They even pulled a board game out of the hall closet in an effort to focus Jenny's attention, as well as their own, on something other than Lee's tests on Monday. But even 'Monopoly' didn't completely shut down 'the great interrogator' as Lee was beginning to think of his determined young daughter.  
  
As she rolled the dice and counted the spaces, moving her game piece a few steps closer to Park Place, Jenny asked, "Why, Daddy? What do they think is wrong?"  
  
He dipped his head slightly to look into her eyes as he answered, "Jennifer Stetson, for the one hundred and ninety-ninth time today. . .the doctor didn't say." 'At least, not in so many words,' he should have said; instead he held that bit of truth in check. "Now, please, no more questions, okay?" he insisted, quirking an eyebrow and giving Jenny a quick, lopsided grin. "At least not until we know something. . .for sure," he finished, making eye contact with Amanda across the table.  
  
"Oh. . .all right. . .I guess," Jenny said, her protruding lower lip revealing her disappointment, as her eyes followed the path of her finger, tracing the damask pattern in the tablecloth.  
  
"Anybody for ice cream?" Amanda offered, trying against all odds to lighten the mood.  
  
Her efforts met with faint acceptance, only a mixture of "Yeah, sure, whatever. . ." from her husband and daughter. Well, she'd tried. She shook her head at the two of them and went to the kitchen to see to their dessert.  
  
Thirty minutes later, they gave up on the Monopoly game, and Lee went on up to the bedroom. Jenny stayed downstairs for a few minutes to help Amanda with the ice cream dishes and spoons. "Mom?"  
  
"Yes?" Amanda questioned in return, leaning into the island and resting her hand on the countertop.  
  
"I know Dad said no more questions, but. . ." Jenny began, turning to face her mother and leaning her back against the sink. "Mom, I heard Jamie and Phillip talking last Sunday night, and Phillip said he was afraid Daddy might have a. . ."  
  
"I know. . ." Amanda interrupted, keeping her voice low. "I know, Sweetheart. And he's right. . .that's a possibility, but only one of the possibilities, okay?" She moved to stand beside Jenny, slipping an arm around her shoulder as she continued, "And your Dad was telling you the truth earlier. His doctor didn't tell him exactly what it was he suspected." At Jenny's incredulous look, she admitted, "All right, so he stopped just short of telling him. . .anyway, the tests won't happen until Monday, and we really won't know anything. . .for sure, until at least Wednesday, when Dad sees the doctor again." She turned Jenny's shoulders so she could look into her eyes as she asked, "So do you think you could cut him some slack at least until then? Hm?"  
  
"Okay. . .I'll try," Jenny answered. "It's just that I love him so much, and I'm so sc-"  
  
"I understand, Sweetie. . ." Amanda said quietly as she began to guide Jenny over to the staircase. "We're all a little bit scared, but we have to believe everything will turn out all right. So hang in there, okay?" she asked, squeezing Jenny's shoulder and giving her a slight push as they continued up the stairs. 'A little bit scared? That had to be the understatement of the year!' Amanda thought to herself as she reached out to open their bedroom door.  
  
********  
  
Wednesday morning, Lee and Amanda sat in two tall, wing-backed leather chairs in Dr. Samad's office, waiting for him to finish with another patient. As he scanned the walls covered with Samad's diplomas, certificates, licenses and honors, Lee had to admit, at least to himself, that Monday's tests had been relatively painless, well, except for the needle sticks for the blood tests and when they'd injected him with the dye for the MRI. He was thankful he didn't have to stay in that tube-thing too long. As fidgety as he could be after waiting in the doctor's office a few minutes, he congratulated himself that holding completely still for any length of time had been a major accomplishment.  
  
"He's doing it again, Amanda," he said, drumming his fingers on the arms of his chair. "Why is it you always, always have to wait in the doctor's office?" he asked in frustration, just as the door opened behind them.  
  
"I am so sorry, Mr. Stetson. . .Mrs. Stetson," Dr. Samad apologized, bowing his head to each of them in turn as he rounded the large mahogany desk and seated himself. "I realize that both of you have very busy schedules." He put on his reading glasses and opened Lee's file, now a good two inches thick, before continuing to speak. "Mr. Stetson. . .I will come directly to the point. You see, your tests have established that there is a large mass, most likely a brain tumor, located in the area of the cerebrum, and that the intracranial pressure from the mass itself or from associated edema may be pressing against your optic nerves." He looked up from the file as he continued, "This would explain the visual effects you have experienced of late. Now, Mr. Stetson, I have written you a referral to a neurosurgeon on staff with the N.E.S.T. team, Dr. Jacob Gottlieb, an excellent surgeon." Dr. Samad reached across the desk to hand Lee Dr. Gottlieb's card, but when Lee didn't respond or attempt to accept the card, he stood up and came around to stand beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder as he laid the card down on the desktop. "I understand completely, Mr. Stetson. Dr. Gottlieb will take very good care of you—have no fear. Now, I really must attend to my other patients, but please. . .take as long as you wish here. There is no rush," he said quietly, nodding to Lee and then to Amanda before leaving the office and closing the door behind him.  
  
At the words 'brain tumor', Lee had stopped listening. He closed his eyes tightly, and he could feel his heart pounding against his ribs as his hands held the chair's arms in a death-grip. The fear he'd held in check until now churned in his mind. He flinched at Amanda's gentle touch on his arm, and looked up in shock to see that the doctor had left the room. Blinking his eyes a few times and shaking his head in a vain attempt to clear it of all the disturbing thoughts, he finally turned his gaze on Amanda. "What the. . .oh. I'm sorry Amanda. What were you saying?"  
  
"Lee," she began quietly, taking his hand in hers and gently stroking his arm. "Let's take this one step at a time, all right?" she suggested, her comforting tone hiding her own anxieties. "Dr. Samad has referred you to a surgeon, Dr. Gottlieb there," she said, indicating the card. "He said Dr. Gottlieb was very good. If you want, I'll talk to the receptionist and set up the appointment for you."  
  
"No, no, that's all right," he said, shaking his head slightly and gaining a modicum of control over his emotions. "I'll be all right," he said with a slight nod. He continued to hold her hand as he stood up from the chair, saying, "Come on, let's go."  
  
Amanda went with him silently as he made the appointment with the surgeon for the following afternoon. She kept reminding herself of the wise advice she'd offered, 'One step at a time, Amanda, one step at a time. Okay, so maybe it's a brain tumor, but that doesn't mean. . .necessarily. . .one step at a time, Amanda, one step at a time.'  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	3. Watches and Warnings

Stormy Weather II  
  
by matahari2  
  
Summary / Disclaimers, etc.: See Chapter 1  
  
Feedback: Yes! Please! Read and Review!  
  
Chapter Three – Watches and Warnings  
  
The Agency Field Section Chief's Office  
  
Amanda held Lee's hands loosely for a moment as she stood face to face with him beside his desk, searching his eyes. "You're sure you're going to be all right?" she asked, the slight quiver in her voice betraying the thinly- veiled emotion behind her simple question.  
  
"Honestly? No," he said quietly, flashing a quick glance toward the window. He turned his gaze back to his wife's concerned face and gave her a weak smile as he suggested, "But maybe a little routine'll help. . .you know. . .give me something else to think about." His eyes scanned the desktop and the piles of paperwork, which seemed to have doubled in volume since he'd left the office on Friday. He slipped one of his hands free and gestured in a sweeping motion across the desk as he went on with a wink, "All this oughta keep me busy enough, hm?"  
  
"Yeah. . .I suppose so," she replied with a small smile. She gave his hand a gentle squeeze and said, "Well. . .I guess I'd better go on over to Training and start attacking my backlog, too." She flicked a glance toward the bullpen, scanning for prying eyes. When she found none, she gave Lee a quick kiss on the cheek and turned to leave. With her hand on the door handle, she spun around to say, "Love you, Sweetheart! I'll see you later."  
  
"Me too, Amanda," he answered. "See ya." As the office door closed behind her, Lee pulled out his reading glasses and slid them on, then opened the first of the case reports from the stack in the center of his desk.  
  
********  
  
Two hours later, Lee had just moved the last of the closed case files to his 'out' box when he heard someone rapping on his door. "Come in!" he called, as Francine entered the office and went to stand behind one of the chairs that faced his desk. "What can I do for you? Is there a problem?" he asked, taking his glasses off and motioning with his hand for her to take a seat.  
  
She remained standing, though, gripping the back of the chair with both hands as she caught his eyes with her sympathetic gaze before she began, "No. . .not for me. I was just about to ask you the same thing, Lee. I know you saw the doctor again this morning. . ."  
  
Lee's mouth dropped open, and he narrowed his eyes, his expression a mixture of surprise and suspicion. "What d'you mean, you know I. . ."  
  
Francine held up a hand to stop his outburst, as she cut in, "Now, before you accuse me of spying on you, just hear me out, okay?" She moved to sit down in the chair as she continued, "I'd been down to have a chat with Devlin in Research, and I ran into Amanda on her way back to Training a couple hours ago. She looked so worried, Lee," Francine said, her blue eyes a mirror of her genuine concern. "When I asked her what was wrong, all she'd volunteer was that you'd been back to see the doctor this morning, but she really didn't want to talk about it. I, mean, seriously," she reflected aloud, her eyes flitting to the ceiling and circling the room, "when Amanda Stetson doesn't want to talk. . ."  
  
"Hey. . ." Lee put in, frowning in protest.  
  
"Sorry, Lee, I didn't mean it that way. . .really," Francine stated defensively. She explained, "It's just that normally Amanda's so outgoing and friendly, and. . ."  
  
"Yes. . .yes she is, Francine," Lee agreed with a fleeting smile. He slicked a hand down the back of his hair, stopping at his collar. He leaned his elbow on the desk, saying, "But then again, I guess you could say we just haven't had a whole lot of 'normal' lately."  
  
Francine nodded her agreement, as she said, "Oh, I know, Lee, and I'm so sorry. Your family's really been through some tough times. . ."  
  
"Yeah. . ." he sighed. "And they're not over—not by a long shot."  
  
"Want to talk about it?" she questioned.  
  
He appeared to mull over her question, staring at nothing in particular for a moment before looking up and beginning to tell her about their latest troubling news. "Now you understand," he began, looking directly into her eyes, "this has to be kept in strictest confidence. . .no exceptions. . ."  
  
********  
  
Amanda heard the phone ringing a good five seconds before she reached her small office. She barely managed to snatch up the receiver before the call would have gone to her voicemail. "Amanda Stetson," she answered, slightly short of breath.  
  
"Oh, good, Darling, you're back!" Dotty gushed.  
  
"Hello, Mother," Amanda replied wearily, too emotionally exhausted to force a smile into her voice.  
  
"I'm sorry, Dear," Dotty said, her sincere apology evident in her subdued tone. "If you'd rather not talk about it. . ."  
  
'Oh, good--the guilt trip begins!' Amanda thought, shutting her eyes and sighing silently as she opened her bottom desk drawer and slipped her purse inside. She realized her mother's concern for her and Lee was genuine, but her own feelings were too raw at the moment to deal with them openly, especially over the phone. "Oh, no, Mother. . .we'll talk about it. . .just not right now, okay?" she pleaded.  
  
Dotty's crisp, "Of course, Amanda" did little to disguise her hurt feelings, and Amanda, ever the caregiver, rushed in to say, "Moth-er. . .it's just that I'd much rather tell you about this when we're together, all right? Are you free for lunch today?"  
  
The tension hadn't completely left her voice yet, but Dotty replied, "Yes, I suppose so. Can you be free by 12:00?"  
  
"Sure. I'll just give Lee a call to let him know where I'll be, and I'll come and pick you up by noon," Amanda said. "I love you, Mother. . .'bye!"  
  
********  
  
"Promise me, if there's anything I can do for you and Amanda, you'll let me know," Francine insisted, reaching across the desk and touching the back of his hand for emphasis.  
  
"All right. . ." he agreed hesitantly, "we'll do that." He paused, acknowledging to himself that he still found it hard to ask for help from anyone, but he realized it was a skill he'd have to master, and soon. He looked into his friend's sympathetic eyes and told her, "Your friendship means a lot, Francine. . .to both of us. Thanks," he said with a trace of a smile.  
  
The bleating telephone startled him, and his hand quivered slightly as he picked up the receiver. "Lee Stetson," he answered.  
  
"Lee, it's me," Amanda said, her voice sounding nervous and strained.  
  
"Amanda. . .what's up?" he asked.  
  
After she told him about her lunch plans and her mother's 'need to know', Lee said, "Yeah. . .I guess we should tell her. . .I don't know. . ." he vacillated back and forth, tipping his head from side to side.  
  
"Lee. . .Mother's been awfully good to us for a lotta years," Amanda said, the tension in her voice rising. "She deserves more from us than to be kept in the dark, especially about something. . ."  
  
"Like this," he finished for her. "Yes. . .you're right. . .we really do have to tell her. . .I just hope she doesn't try to read too much into it, you know? Just be sure to tell her there are a lot of things we don't know yet. Remember your words, 'one step at a time'?" he reminded her. Across the desk, Lee could see that Francine was making a move to get up and leave. He motioned to her, indicating that he wanted her to stay awhile longer, as he wrapped up his phone conversation. "Me, too, Amanda. I'll see you when you come back. 'Bye."  
  
"All right, Lee, what is it?" Francine asked.  
  
He studied the desktop for a moment, fiddling with the tabs of several of the file folders, before he looked up at his friend. "I'm a little worried about our new boss, Ms. Kingston," he admitted. "From the brief contacts I've had with her, I get the impression she's like a drill sergeant. . .you know," he said, drawing air-circles with his hand, "all spit-and-polish, by- the-book. . .if you get my drift."  
  
"Ah. . .so that's what you think. Well, you just might be in for a surprise, Lee," Francine replied. "I mean, it's true she can be a bit formal. . .and she does like to run a tight ship, but I'm sure a lot of that's from her upbringing. She was an Army brat, and from what I've heard, her father took 'spit-and-polish' to a whole new level!"  
  
"Okay. . .that explains her brusque first impression," Lee considered with a quick nod. "But how do you think she's gonna take it when I tell her about the brain surgery and the extended medical leave I'll probably have to take?" He touched his fingers to his temples as he continued, "Look. . .we don't have any idea how long that'll be yet, so. . ."  
  
Francine cut in, "Lee? You know that old saying, 'You can't tell a book by its cover'? Well, Alberta Kingston's a prime example. She's a seven-year breast cancer survivor. . .she's been through two surgeries, the chemo, the hair loss, the depression. . .all of it. And she's healthy now, thank goodness. You really should go and talk with her, Lee. . .I'm sure she'll understand."  
  
As she stood to leave, Lee stood up as well and thanked her for her support once again. As they both headed out through the bullpen, Francine asked, "Do you have any lunch plans? A few of us were going to go over to Ned's. . .would you like to come along?"  
  
"Thanks for the offer, Francine," he said graciously, "but no, I don't have much of an appetite. . . I think I'd just like to take a walk." I have a lot of thinking to do, about our future. . .if there is one, he lamented.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	4. Looking at Clouds from Both Sides

Stormy Weather II  
  
by matahari2  
  
Summary / Disclaimers, etc.: See Chapter 1  
  
Feedback: Yes! Please! Read and Review!  
  
Chapter Four – Looking at Clouds from Both Sides  
  
Arlington, Viriginia  
  
Amanda rang the doorbell and stood there on the porch, absently chewing on her thumbnail as she waited. She looked up in surprise, dropping her hand self-consciously, when her mother opened the door wearing an apron, with a dishtowel draped over her shoulder.  
  
"Oh, Mother," she said apologetically, "I'm sorry! Am I early?"  
  
"What?" Dotty started to ask, then looked down at her own apparel and back to Amanda. "Oh, you mean this?" she asked, as she indicated the apron and dishtowel with a sweep of her hand. She backed away from the door, motioning with her hand for Amanda to go on into the dining room as she went on, "No, no, Dear, you're not early. It's just that I thought you might prefer to have this conversation in a more private setting--that's all. So I made some chicken salad, and I already had a loaf of banana nut bread here, so. . ."  
  
"You made lunch," Amanda finished, smiling slightly. "Thank you, Mother. "  
  
"It was no problem, Dear, " Dotty said, waving it off as nothing significant, as she discarded her apron and the dishtowel on the kitchen counter and brought their tea into the dining room.  
  
In silent agreement, they finished eating their lunch before either of them said anything of any consequence. Wiping the corner of her mouth with the linen napkin and setting it back on the table carefully, Amanda took a deep breath. She leaned her elbows on the table and tented her fingertips together as she started to speak. "Mother? I'm sure you want to know about the results of the tests Lee had on Monday. . .you know, about his headaches and all. . ." she started, her voice shaking slightly.  
  
"Yes?" Dotty prompted.  
  
"Well. . ." Amanda began. 'God! this is hard!' she thought, nearly choking on the words she had to say. "It seems they found a. . .a mass. . ."  
  
Dotty's face fell, and Amanda felt her lower lip beginning to quiver, but she kept up the tale. If she stopped, she was afraid she'd never get it all out. Brushing invisible crumbs from the tablecloth with her fingers, she said, "They think it may be a brain tumor." She bit her lip and struggled to blink back the tears now clouding her eyes. She sniffled slightly and fiddled with the napkin as she said, "Anyway, he's supposed to see the surgeon tomorrow afternoon, and then I guess we'll know more about what to expect, you know. . .from here on." Try as she might, she couldn't keep one errant tear from falling from the corner of her eye. She wiped it away with her thumb as quickly as she could, but it didn't escape her mother's notice.  
  
"Oh, Darling. . ." Dotty said, her voice wavering, as she reached across the corner of the table to place a comforting hand over Amanda's. "I'm so sorry," she whispered.  
  
"I know, Mother, thank you," Amanda said in a barely audible voice. She kept her eyes fixed on the tablecloth, afraid of making eye contact for fear of losing control.  
  
"You know, I read about medical miracles all the time, Amanda, " Dotty offered, as she placed a finger under her daughter's chin, forcing her to look up into her eyes. "So don't you give up!" At Amanda's sad, incredulous look, she stood up and admitted, her hands raised in surrender, "All right. . .yes, I know he may have to have surgery, and some kind of treatments afterward, but our Lee is going to be just fine. . .you just wait and see!"  
  
"I want to believe that, Mother, really. . .I'm trying to believe that," Amanda said between sniffles. "It's just. . .well. . .I love him so much, Mother, more now than ever, and I can't stand the thought of. . ."  
  
As she came around to Amanda's side, Dotty interrupted, "Now, Amanda, let's not even think those things. Let's just live 'in the moment', all right?" she suggested lovingly, kissing her on the cheek.  
  
"One step at a time," Amanda whispered, nodding to herself.  
  
********  
  
Lee strolled down 32nd Street in Georgetown, past the stately Dumbarton Oaks House and gardens, and on to Montrose Park. As he walked through the tree-shaded park, he tried to put his finger on why he'd reacted the way he had in the doctor's office this morning. It wasn't like him to succumb to fear that way. Looking back, he remembered many of the times he'd faced life-and-death situations in the field without a second thought. 'Until Amanda,' he realized, a hint of a smile on his lips. He shook his head as he thought, 'She's made all the difference. She's given me something. . .someone. . .to live for.' The two of them had built a life together, a loving family. That was it. He was afraid for them. What if he couldn't be the husband and father they depended on? He'd heard stories about cancer patients who were so sick from their treatments, they couldn't get back to any kind of a normal life for months on end, if they every did. The last thing he wanted to be was a burden, to anyone, least of all his Amanda. 'Wait a minute,' he lectured himself, hearing her voice in his mind, 'we don't even know for sure it's cancer. . .not yet.' What was it she'd said this morning, 'one step at a time?' He squared his shoulders and started the less-than-leisurely walk back to the Agency, promising himself that he'd follow her advice. The next step was to see the surgeon, and for today, that's as far ahead as he wanted to go.  
  
********  
  
After pulling into the Agency parking garage, Amanda checked her appearance in the rearview mirror. She was glad she'd kept a tube of highlighter in her purse. After wiping away her smudged mascara with a tissue, she dabbed a small amount of the makeup under her eyes, blending it carefully to cover the reddened skin underneath. Although it had been a relief to share the news with her mother, she wasn't ready to answer a lot of questions from well-meaning friends and associates. She took one more look at her reflection, and whispered to herself, "Well. . .that's as good as it gets."  
  
"As good as what gets?" Lee asked, as he opened the driver-side door.  
  
Her mouth dropped open in surprise, but she recovered quickly, accepting his offered hand and replying, "What? Oh. . .my looks," she said, with a slight shrug of her shoulders. "I was just freshening up a little before going back in to work, and. . ."  
  
"Well, 'as good as it gets' looks pretty good to me," he countered quickly, giving her a quick kiss on the lips and placing a hand at the small of her back, guiding her toward the Agency's Georgetown foyer entrance. "So. . .how'd it go with your mother?"  
  
"Surprisingly well," she answered, as they walked side-by-side. "Of course, she feels for us, but she was also very encouraging, Lee." She waited as he opened the door for her, then continued, "I guess she could see I was having a hard time holding it together, thinking ahead to what could happen. . ." she paused, seeing him nod grimly, then looked into his eyes as she rushed to add, "not that anything WILL happen, you understand. . .anyway, she told me I shouldn't think along those lines. She told me to live 'in the moment'. She's right, isn't she? We don't need to borrow tomorrow's troubles."  
  
"Yeah. . .she's a very wise woman," Lee stated quietly, as they stepped into the closet-elevator, each of them reaching for the other's hand, more out of instinct than intention.  
  
When the doors opened at the third underground level, he gave Amanda's hand a gentle squeeze before they parted company for the afternoon. "Well, I guess I'd better get in there for the budget meeting," he said, releasing her hand and gesturing with his thumb toward the entrance to the bullpen.  
  
"Right," she answered, tipping her head to the side and motioning toward the crosswise corridor. "And I'd better get back to that stack of paper on my desk."  
  
"Yeah," he said, turning to leave. "I'll see you later," he called back over his shoulder as the guards opened the doors for him.  
  
"Okay. Call me whenever. . ." she trailed off, realizing he was already out of earshot. As she turned and started for her office, she thought of one more face-to-face discussion they'd have to deal with yet today. . .Jenny.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	5. Calm Before the Storm

Stormy Weather II  
  
by matahari2  
  
Summary / Disclaimers, etc.: See Chapter 1  
  
Feedback: Yes! Please! Read and Review!  
  
Chapter Two – Calm Before the Storm  
  
Amanda had accepted Janet Carter's "anything we can do" offer, held over from their last family crisis. She'd asked if Jenny could come home with Kerry after school, so she could stay at work until Lee was ready to go home each night. Beginning on Monday, Lee had asked Amanda to start driving him to work. He hadn't wanted to take any more chances, with his peripheral vision becoming so limited. Nearly running into Phillip had scared him more than he'd cared to admit.  
  
As Amanda pulled up in front of the Carters' house, Lee turned to face her as he drummed his fingers against the armrest. "I guess it's time to um. . .bite the bullet, huh?"  
  
"Yeah. . .I guess so," she answered. She took in his nervous demeanor and reached across to wrap her fingers around his left hand, whispering, "It'll be all right, Sweetheart," as she gently rubbed the back of his hand with her thumb. She waited for him to meet her gaze before she admitted, "You're right. . .she's gonna want to know. But maybe we can at least put it off until we get home."  
  
Jenny had been watching for them from the front door, and she had only taken a few seconds to pick up her book bag and say "good night" to Kerry and Mrs. Carter. She was already standing outside the Explorer's passenger- side door as Amanda had finished speaking. "Put off what, Mom?" she asked, as she hopped up into the back seat. Amanda felt the slight quiver in Lee's hand, aware that he must not have seen or heard Jenny coming down the walk.  
  
"Never mind, Sweetie," Amanda said quickly, "we'll talk about it after we get home. So how was school today?" she asked, putting the car into gear and starting to pull out onto the road.  
  
"It was okay I guess," Jenny answered, sounding either bored or agitated, Amanda wasn't sure which, as she kicked her heels into the bottom of the back seat, repeatedly. "So Daddy. . ." she started up, slipping her hands under her the outsides of her thighs and leaning as far forward as the seatbelt would allow. "How're you doing?"  
  
Lee darted a quick glance at Amanda, then stared straight ahead through the windshield as he considered his reply. "Well, Jenny. . .I can honestly say I've had better days," he began with a rueful smile, "but if you're talking about right now, this minute. . ."  
  
"Mm-hm," she interjected.  
  
"Well then, as of right now, this minute, I'm. . .not bad," he answered as truthfully as he could.  
  
"So what'd the doctor say this morning?" Jenny blurted out.  
  
At that, Amanda glared at her in the rearview mirror, her lips drawn together in a tight line as she said, "Jen-ni-fer. . .what did we tell you?"  
  
"Oh. . .okay," Jenny pouted, kicking the seat one last time, folding her arms and looking out the side window. 'Nothing. . .you told me a big old nothing,' she muttered, almost under her breath.  
  
Amanda rolled her eyes, thinking, 'Oh boy!'  
  
********  
  
They'd managed to get through most of dinner when Jenny ran out of patience. "All right, Mom. . .Dad, I really wanna know. What's up?"  
  
"All right, Jenny," Lee began, folding his hands on the table and meeting her eyes as he continued, "you know I had those tests on Monday. . .all the blood tests and a bunch of x-rays. . ."  
  
"Yeah, and the MRI where you had to lie completely still. . ." Jenny filled in.  
  
"Right. Well. . .you see. . ." Lee stalled, "the pictures from the MRI showed them something. . ." he went on, spreading his hands apart slightly. "The doctor called it a mass, and he told us there's a possibility it could be a. . ." he hesitated again, raking a hand through his hair. He hated to even say the word himself, let alone tell his daughter, but he had to finish, "a tumor."  
  
"A tumor. . .a brain tumor," she repeated, looking to her father and mother in turn. At Amanda's silent, confirming nod, she looked back into Lee's weary face again as she asked, "So what happens now?"  
  
"I have an appointment with the surgeon tomorrow afternoon," Lee answered straightforwardly, "a Dr. Gottlieb. Dr. Samad told us he's very good. We'll just have to see what he says, okay?"  
  
"Yeah. . .okay, Daddy," she said, looking so downcast it broke his heart. "I love you!" she said in a rush, coming over to give him a hug.  
  
He slipped his hand around her waist and whispered, "Me too, Jenny! I love you so much!"  
  
Amanda reached out a hand to stroke Jenny's back, saying, "C'mon, Sweetheart, why don't we head on upstairs and run you a bath, hm?"  
  
Jenny didn't say a word; she just nodded to her mother silently and gave her father a kiss on the cheek before starting for the stairs.  
  
********  
  
Thursday Morning  
  
Lee stood by the kitchen sink, taking a sip of his coffee and gazing out the window at the green, rolling hills, dotted with the occasional farmhouse and barn, and criss-crossed with long white board fences.  
  
As she poured her own coffee, Amanda noticed his wistful look. She cleared her throat before starting to speak, not wanting to alarm him. "Penny for your thoughts," she said quietly, moving to stand beside him.  
  
"Hm?" he started to ask, then apparently realized he had actually heard her request. "Cost you a nickel. . ." he said with a quick wink.  
  
"Inflation," they whispered together, sharing small smiles as they turned to face each other.  
  
Amanda asked the question again silently, searching his eyes.  
  
"Okay. . .well. . ." he hedged, giving her a lopsided grin. He set his mug down on the counter and took both of her hands in his as he told her, "I really love this place, Amanda. I love our life together, our family, and. . .more than anything in this world, I love you."  
  
"And?" she prompted. She was glad to hear him say the words, but she felt that he was holding something back.  
  
He flicked a glance out the window, admitting softly, "I guess I'm afraid of losing it all. . .of losing. . .you."  
  
"Oh, Sweetheart!" she said tenderly, reaching up to caress his cheek, "I'm not going anywhere." At his sad look, she took hold of his hand again and added, "And neither are you! I thought we agreed, we'd take this thing. . ."  
  
Lee closed his eyes tightly and nodded to the rhythm of the words as she finished, "one step at a time."  
  
"I know we did," he said, breaking contact with her and stuffing a hand into his pants pocket as he started to pace the length of the kitchen. "And it sounds real good on paper, but living it's another story. Look--this afternoon I meet with the surgeon, and before long, he's gonna cut my head open, Amanda." He stopped and stared into her eyes as he shouted, "Our lives may never be the same!"  
  
She couldn't deny the truth of his words, but the depth of his fear and anxiety worried her, almost more than the disease. She was silent for a moment, rubbing a finger along the edge of the counter and fixing a determined gaze on her shoes. She broke the silence, looking up into his eyes as she rasped, "I understand that, Lee. I do. But I promise you. . .I'll be with you every step of the way, and we'll find a way to get through this."  
  
His look softened slightly. "I appreciate your promise, Amanda, and I trust you'll stand by me. . .really," he added, sincerity shining through his eyes. "But this time, we can't guarantee the result, can we?"  
  
"No," she confessed. "But Lee. . .a lot of things are going to factor into that result, most of which we don't know yet. Let's just see what Dr. Gottlieb has to say, before we worry about the next step, all right?" she pleaded.  
  
"Yeah. . .all right," he agreed, almost in a whisper, as he leaned back into the counter.  
  
Just then, Jenny came down the stairs and into the family room. Amanda caught sight of her and called, "Ready for school, Sweetheart?"  
  
"Yeah, Mom, " Jenny replied, picking up her book bag and sliding her math homework into it. "Everything okay?" she asked, scanning both of their faces.  
  
"As okay as it can be, Jen," Lee answered. He picked up his coffee mug and said to Amanda, "All right, then, let's go."  
  
Amanda simply nodded to him, picking up the car keys and heading out the door. She knew already it was going to be a long day.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	6. Rainin' All Day Long

Stormy Weather II  
  
by matahari2  
  
Summary / Disclaimers, etc.: See Chapter 1  
  
Feedback: Yes! Please! Read and Review!  
  
Chapter Six – Rainin' All Day Long  
  
Thursday, Late Morning at the Agency  
  
Lee had just put his pen down after initialing the latest set of Field Section budget revisions, when he saw the small LCD display on his telephone showing Amanda's extension number. He picked up on the first ring, as he laid his reading glasses on the desktop. "Hi," he said, with a hint of a smile in his voice.  
  
"Hi, yourself," Amanda replied. "Lee. . .you know, your appointment with Dr. Gottlieb is for 1:00 this afternoon. Would you like to take an early lunch? You know. . .get away for a little while before. . ."  
  
"Amanda. . ." he broke in, "thanks for the offer, really. . .but the truth is, I just don't feel much like eating. Maybe it's nerves, you know. . .butterflies in my stomach or something. . .I don't know." He closed his eyes and rubbed his fingers across his forehead as he continued, "And then there's Senator Markham's visit this afternoon at 2:30. I should at least brief Francine, in case she has to cover for me."  
  
"It's all right, Lee. . .I understand," she answered dejectedly.  
  
He hadn't meant to, but he knew his simple refusal of her lunch invitation had hurt her. . .then again, what could he say? 'Think, Stetson, think,' he prodded himself. "Look. . .tell you what. Francine's already on her way down here, and if we get started right away, we ought to be finished in about an hour. Let's see. . .that'd be right at 12:00. If you want, we can order in—you get what ever you want and come on over. . .how does that sound?"  
  
"That'll be fine, Lee," Amanda replied, her voice brightening with each word. "I still wish you'd have something, too, but if you really don't feel like it," she started to say, then stopped herself. "Never mind. Okay, then, see you in about an hour!"  
  
Lee couldn't help the slight smile that turned up the corners of his mouth as he hung up the phone. He shook his head slightly as he mused, 'She's still amazing!' The woman could turn on a dime--emotionally, that is.  
  
He suddenly realized he must have been staring into space, as he heard Francine's voice breaking through, "Earth to Stetson! Do you read me?"  
  
"Very funny, Francine," he mumbled sarcastically, as he jerked his head up to look at her.  
  
"Sorry," she apologized quickly, as she slipped into one of the chairs. "What did you want to talk about?"  
  
He pulled the folder out of his desk drawer and handed it to her across the desk as he began to explain, "Well, you know that Senator Markham is coming this afternoon . . ."  
  
********  
  
At 12:30, Amanda rushed into Lee's office, bearing a chicken salad sandwich and two large cups of ice water and all set to apologize for being late. The only problem was, her husband wasn't there. She didn't think he'd have gone to the doctor's office early, as much as he hated waiting around. She spotted Frank Duffy out in the bullpen, so she set the sandwich and their drinks down on the desk and held the door open as she asked, "Frank? Have you seen Lee lately?"  
  
"Oh, Hi, Amanda. Yeah," Frank replied. "He came dashing out of here a minute ago—in fact, he almost bumped into me out there in the hall. Looked to me like he was headed for the men's room. He'll prob'ly be right back," he said, turning back to his PC.  
  
"Okay, thanks, Frank," Amanda said, somewhat distractedly, as she spotted Lee coming back through the bullpen doors, looking a little green around the gills, with the reddened eyes and pale face of someone who'd just been sick to his stomach. "Hi," she said quietly, moving out of the way so he could get into his office. "How're you doing? You don't look so good."  
  
"No joke!" he said, rolling his eyes as he reached to pick up one of the cups of water.  
  
Amanda rushed in to say, "I'm sorry, Lee. I was just gonna ask you if you were sure you didn't want anything to eat. . .but I guess that's pretty obvious, huh?"  
  
"Yeah. . ." he sighed, as he seated himself behind the desk, leaning forward on his elbows and resting his chin on his hands. He slicked one of his hands over the back of his hair and allowed it to come to rest on the desktop before saying, "The fact is, I'll be doing real good to stay in the room while you eat your sandwich."  
  
"Oh. . .you know what? I'm not so hungry anyway," she said, wrinkling her nose at the contents of the small white bag. She stood and walked over to the wet bar at the other end of his office as she kept up her good-natured patter. "Why don't I just put this into your little fridge here, and maybe I'll take it back to my office later, you know, after. . ." she trailed off as she saw him peeking at his watch. She locked eyes with him as she whispered, "Time to go?"  
  
"Mm," he replied, pushing up from his chair and looking for all the world like a weary gladiator on the way to his final battle in the arena. What was it they used to say. . .something like, 'We who are about to die salute you'?  
  
Before they left the office, Amanda brushed a hand down his arm and tried to reassure him, saying, "It'll be all right, Sweetheart. Let's just see what he has to say, all right?"  
  
"Okay," he agreed reluctantly, as he placed his hand at the small of her back and led her out through the bullpen.  
  
********  
  
Dr. Gottlieb's Office, 1:15 p.m.  
  
Lee's thoughts were a mix of nervousness, fear, and downright disgust. 'Doctors! First you wait in the waiting room, then you think you're making progress when they bring you to the examining room. . .but noooo! Then you get to wait some more!' His frustration increased by the minute. He hadn't even been able to set off into a good pace. The room wasn't big enough for him to take more than two and a half steps. He'd tried it, and given it up as a bad habit. Instead, he landed a punch to the poor defenseless examining table, just as he heard a jovial voice coming from the general direction of the door.  
  
He spun around, hanging his head in embarrassment as Dr. Gottlieb joked, "I'll take the table in three rounds!"  
  
"Sorry," Lee responded, with a sheepish grin.  
  
"No, Mr. Stetson. . .I owe you an apology," the doctor admitted. "I didn't get out of the O. R. until after twelve-thirty. It's just been 'one of those days'. . ." he said, rolling his eyes as he pulled Lee's chart from the rack.  
  
'I can identify with that!' Lee thought, nodding in agreement.  
  
Dr. Gottlieb flipped Lee's chart open and scanned his notes, then set it down on the instrument table and slid his hands into the pockets of his lab coat before beginning to speak. "Mr. Stetson, I know Dr. Samad's already told you something about what it is we think we've discovered from your tests. . ."  
  
"Yes, " Lee answered, gesturing toward his forehead, "he told us there was a mass up here somewhere. . .and that it could be a brain tumor."  
  
"That's correct, Mr. Stetson," Dr. Gottlieb confirmed. "And of the numerous types of brain tumor, we have a fairly good idea of which type is causing your problems. Assuming we're right about this, the tumor we want to get rid of in your case is called an oligodendroglioma."  
  
At Lee's confused look, he said with a reassuring smile, "Don't worry, there won't be a test later." He took on a more serious tone, resuming what was beginning to sound to Lee like a medical school lecture, saying, "It's a rare type, one that shows up mostly in middle-aged adults. These tumors grow slowly, so it takes quite a while before patients present with symptoms. . .like your headaches and vision problems. . .and sometimes numbness in the limbs and nausea, among other symptoms. The good news is, they rarely spread into surrounding brain tissue. Now. . .do you have any questions?", he asked, slipping a hand out of his pocket and leaning it against the instrument table.  
  
"Well. . .yes," Lee replied tentatively. "When do you want to schedule the surgery? And what do you think my chances are?"  
  
"As far as scheduling, I'm booked up already for tomorrow, so how about Monday morning? My receptionist can help us work out the details and schedule the surgery for you," he answered practically. "Now about your second question. . .we really won't know that answer for several months. This type of tumor gives you better odds than some. . .and we'll remove as much of it as we can get without harming healthy tissue. . ."  
  
"And then what, Doc?" Lee asked, his face becoming pale and drawn at what he'd heard. 'As much of it as we can get' didn't sound very reassuring.  
  
"And then. . .comes the hard work of recovery," the doctor stated honestly, letting out a small sigh. "Many patients with tumors in the cerebrum, where yours is, have a course of radiation treatments over a six- to seven week period. I won't lie to you, Mr. Stetson. . .it's not going to be easy, and there will most likely be some very unpleasant side effects, but soon after the treatment's completed, most of them should go away. Now, if you'll come with me, we'll get you some brochures on the surgery itself, as well as what to expect afterward. . ."  
  
********  
  
Monday Morning  
  
Surgical Wing, Galilee General Hospital  
  
The weekend had been a tough one to get through. Phillip and Jamie had driven down together, and the whole family had gathered to offer their support. Lee had truly appreciated their love and concern, but he knew, he could see it in their faces. . .that they were every bit as afraid as he was.  
  
He'd changed into the hospital gown. . .two of them, actually, one with the ties in the back, covered with another with the ties in the front. It wasn't much, but it did allow the patient to hold on to a tiny bit of his dignity. He'd just slipped between the covers of his temporary hospital bed when he spied Amanda coming toward him through the double-doors. His face brightened a little as he saw her coming closer. "Hi," he said softly, pushing up from the bed to give her a quick kiss on the lips. "I didn't know they let anybody back here," he said, taking her hand in his as he lay back against the pillow.  
  
She perched on the edge of the bed, still holding his hand, as she explained, "Oh yeah. . .they just let one person come back with you, but this is kinda the 'prep' area. Before too long, they'll probably come in and start an IV, and then they'll give you something to help you relax before. . ."  
  
He cut in abruptly, "Relax?!? They expect me to relax?" As he finished, he gripped her hand even more tightly, if it were possible.  
  
Amanda rubbed the back of his hand with gentle fingers as she tried her best to quiet her own nerves enough to help him calm down. Keeping her voice low, she said, "Yes, Sweetheart, relax." She gave him a small smile as she went on, "You will, too. . .and before you know it, it'll all be over. . .you won't feel a thing." At his raised eyebrow, she added "Really."  
  
He still looked uncertain, but he did seem a bit less tense. He gazed into her eyes wistfully as he whispered, "Amanda. . .in case I don't get the chance, you know. . .later. . ."  
  
She opened her mouth to interrupt, but he held up a hand to stop her as he went on, "No, I really need to say this. I love you, Amanda. . .and I want to thank you so much. . ." 'God! this is hard. . .but I have to say it,' he told himself. "You've given me such a great life—sharing Phillip and Jamie with me, and then our Jenny. . .promise me you'll tell them all I love them," he choked out, his eyes reddening, on the verge of tears.  
  
"Of course I will, Sweetheart," she said, caressing his face as she went on, "Please. . .don't give up. I know what the doctor told you about a long road to recovery, but Lee. . .we have to believe they're going to do their best for you in there today, and the treatments will take care of the rest. We're gonna lick this thing together, right?"  
  
Her glistening eyes pleaded with him to take hold of her faith and hang on. "Right," he said softly as he pulled her hand up to his chest. As frightened as he was of the journey ahead, he was glad that his Amanda would be right there with him, 'every step of the way', as she'd promised.  
  
********  
  
Minutes after the anesthesiologist came in and introduced himself to Lee and gave him the first calming injection, he'd started to become drowsy. He vaguely remembered telling someone he felt cold and someone else bringing him a superheated blanket. Others had rolled his gurney down a long hallway, and before his mind could register his location, everything had gone black.  
  
The fog was beginning to clear, and he blinked his eyes open, squinting at the pink sunlight streaming through the blinds as he noticed a familiar silhouette.  
  
"Hi there, sleepyhead!" the vision called to him, as she adjusted the blinds.  
  
"Amanda? Hi, yourself" he responded with a grin, as he touched a hand to the bandages that surrounded his head. "What time is it, anyway?"  
  
"Would you believe it's almost 7:00 p.m.?" she asked, coming over to stand at his bedside, a smile seeming to have taken possession of her face. "I guess you were kinda groggy from the anesthetic, huh?"  
  
  
  
"You could say that," he said, returning her smile and reaching up to take her hand in his.  
  
Gazing into his hazel eyes, Amanda asked, "How're you feeling, Sweetheart?"  
  
"Well. . .to tell you the truth. . .not bad," he stated plainly. "Other than feeling like my head's about three feet wide. . ." he said with a slight chuckle.  
  
She joined him in a little laugh, and said, "Aren't you glad the worst part's over?"  
  
"Mm-hm!" he answered, but he wasn't so sure. From what Dr. Gottlieb had told him, maybe the surgery wasn't the worst part. . .maybe that was yet to come.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	7. The Search for Silver Linings

Stormy Weather II  
  
by matahari2  
  
Summary / Disclaimers, etc.: See Chapter 1  
  
Feedback: Yes! Please! Read and Review!  
  
Chapter Seven – The Search for Silver Linings  
  
Amanda knew it was too good to be true, even though she'd enjoyed their shared moments of relief and joy after Lee had come through the surgery.  
  
Once the anesthetic and the postoperative pain medication began to wear off, Lee complained of the worst headache he'd ever had in his life. When she started to leave his room to go to the nurses' station, he called out to her, his face creased with pain, "No, Amanda. . .please don't leave me!" He pressed his fingers into his forehead and moaned, "Mm. . .Mmh!"  
  
She rushed back to his bedside, pushing the call-button before she took hold of his outstretched hand in both of hers. "It'll be all right, Sweetheart," she murmured soothingly, "I just pressed the button for the nurse. . .someone'll be right in, and we'll see if we can get you something for the pain, all right?"  
  
"Mmh" was all Lee could muster for an answer, along with a slow blink as he turned toward her. The pain she saw in his hazel eyes was almost more than she could bear, but she did her level best to remain calm, for his sake.  
  
The electronic voice resonated from the speaker on the wall, "Fifth Floor West Nurses' Station. . .how may we help you?"  
  
Amanda answered, "My husband needs something for his pain. . .can you get him something right away, please?"  
  
"Yes, Ma'am," the disembodied voice began, "Just let us check his chart. We may need to call his doctor first, but we'll get him something as soon as we can."  
  
"Thank you," Amanda whispered.  
  
Within ten minutes, a bouncy young nurse came in carrying a syringe and a few gauze swabs. "Hello Mr. Stetson," she said cheerily, coming around to the far side of his bed. "I've got a shot of vicodin for you. It'll take away the pain and help you get some rest. Now can you do something for me? I need you to roll over just a little ways. . .there you go!" she chirped, as he rolled over toward Amanda and grabbed onto the bed rail with his right hand. "Just a second," she said, separating the back of his gown by a few inches. She wiped his skin with one of the alcohol-treated swabs, popped the cap off of the syringe, and injected him so skillfully that she had to tell him, "all right, we're done, Mr. Stetson."  
  
As he rolled over to lie down on his back again, the nurse rounded the bed on her way out of his room. She called back to him, "You get some rest, now!" as she disappeared into the hallway.  
  
After a few minutes more, the tension in his face had started to ease somewhat, and Amanda asked, "Think you can try and get a little rest now?"  
  
"Yeah. . ." he whispered, then begged, "but will you stay with me 'til I go to sleep?"  
  
His eyebrows had helped him ask the question, and Amanda had never been able to resist that look of his. "Of course I will, Sweetheart," she replied with a loving smile, as she stroked his arm gently. "You just take it easy. . ." she trailed off, as she saw his eyes begin to close.  
  
********  
  
Galilee General - Tuesday Morning  
  
Amanda was awakened out of a fitful slumber when she heard the clanking of the food cart in the hallway, followed by the voice of an energetic young woman, saying, "Here's your breakfast, Mr. Stetson!"  
  
Amanda stretched her arms out and put a hand up over her mouth to cover an unstoppable yawn, and then she pushed up out of the uncomfortable chair and came to stand beside the bed. When she saw the candy striper taking the cover off of the unappetizing meal, she said, "That's all right. . ." she paused to read the girl's name tag, "Terri. . .we can take it from here. . .thanks."  
  
"Okay, Ma'am. . .Sir," she nodded, backing away and leaving them to their 'breakfast'.  
  
Lee looked at the contents of the tray with undisguised loathing, pushing the edge of the tray away as he said, "Amanda. . .you know, I really don't feel like eating anyway, but this stuff!" He grimaced and turned his face away from the offending mess, saying, "Even the smell of it. . ."  
  
"Yeah. . ." she agreed, frowning in distaste in spite of her breakfast credo. "I know." She repositioned the cover onto the overcooked 'something' that had probably been scrambled eggs in another life, and three strips of not-quite cooked bacon, their ugliness worsened by the trapped steam. Lifting the lid of a small metal carafe, she took an approving sniff and suggested, "Would you like a cup of coffee? It may be okay."  
  
He gave her a slight nod and turned the cup upright, accepting the offer of coffee, and poured what passed for cream into it from the miniature metal pitcher. He stirred it in and took a sip as Amanda said, "And there's a piece of toast here that looks all right. . .here, let me butter it for you."  
  
Lee had just taken a bite of the toast when Dr. Gottlieb rapped on the already-open door and came into the room. "Good Morning, Mr. Stetson. . .Mrs. Stetson," he said, reaching into his pocket for his pen-light. He put a hand under Lee's chin and shone the light into each of his eyes as he commented, " I heard you had a little pain last night."  
  
"And then some!" Lee added.  
  
"Right," Dr. Gottlieb admitted, placing the pen-light back into is lab coat pocket and folding his arms in front of him. "Unfortunately, that's to be expected, especially after brain surgery. You see, the surgery itself can cause edema. . .swelling. . .that gives you some of the same symptoms as the tumor. The good news is that it'll probably start to go down in a day or so. In the meantime, I've noted on your chart that you're to receive pain medication any time you need it over the next forty-eight hours."  
  
"Good. . .thanks," Lee said, with a sigh and a weak smile. "So what's next?" he asked, pushing the over-bed tray further away.  
  
Dr. Gottlieb leaned a hand onto the bedside table as he replied, "Well, Mr. Stetson, this afternoon, Dr. Karen Zimmerman will be in to see you—she's an oncologist. . .a cancer treatment specialist, and she'll work out your treatment schedule with you."  
  
Amanda looked from Lee to Dr. Gottlieb as she asked, "Doctor? What happens if the swelling doesn't go down within a couple of days?"  
  
"Then we'll have to go back in and put in a shunt, to drain off the excess fluid," he answered, as though invading someone's brain was a routine matter. At Amanda's continued look of concern, he said, "Hopefully that won't become an issue, Mrs. Stetson. We'll just monitor the situation and hope for the best, all right?"  
  
Both Lee and Amanda whispered, "All right." Their eyes connected for a moment, each drawing strength from the other. 'We'll lick this thing together', Lee reminded himself, hardly noticing when Dr. Gottlieb left them alone.  
  
********  
  
Lee's face was somewhat flushed and he was slightly short of breath after his first lap around the halls of the fifth floor. Although, in a sense, it felt good to get up and move around a bit, he'd been unsteady on his feet, even with the nurse's help. That had been an unsettling feeling, one he hadn't experienced in a long time. He resolved to himself that he'd take two laps tomorrow--he knew he'd have to build his strength if he was ever going to get out of this wretched place. As he lay there counting the holes in the ceiling tiles, he started to get fidgety, tapping on the side of the bed with his fingers. He frowned when he held up his wrist, only to see bare skin where his watch should have been. Leaning forward in the bed, he stared out through the partially open door. Where was Amanda? 'Oh yeah,' he remembered. 'I pushed her outta here. . .told her to go get herself something to eat.' He didn't think she'd left him all night. . .good grief- -she must have been starving by this time. He lay back against the pillow and started drumming his fingers on the bed rail when he noticed shadows of movement from beneath the door. He started to smile when a delicate hand reached around the door. "Oh, good! You're. . ."  
  
"Not who you were expecting," the tall redhead said dryly as she entered the room. "I get that a lot." She smiled and reached out to shake his hand. "Karen Zimmerman, M.D.," she said in introduction. "I'm your oncologist. We're gonna get to know each other real well, Mr. Stetson. . .may I call you Lee?"  
  
"Sure, Doctor. . ."  
  
"Karen, please! No sense in being too formal about these things," she insisted as she directed her attention to his chart, folding the cover-page over the top and setting it on the bedside table. She fisted her hands and stuffed them into her lab coat, saying, "So Lee. . .d'you have any questions about the therapy?"  
  
"When can we get started?" he asked, as he looked past her toward the hallway.  
  
Karen waved a hand in front of his face and he gave her an apologetic smile as she answered, "That'll depend on when Jake Gottlieb releases you. He told me you might have some swelling, and he'll want to watch that for a few days before turning you over to us." She went on with a sardonic grin, "I guess he figures you don't need more than one set of side effects at a time--now me, I believe in multi-tasking."  
  
Lee wasn't quite sure how to take her last comment, until he noticed the glint in her eyes and her slightly upturned lips. He allowed himself a small chuckle before he turned serious again. "So just what are these side effects, anyway?" he asked.  
  
"Well, some people have nausea right after the treatments, and most people experience hair loss, and to be honest, you'll feel tired a lot of the time, but. . ." she began, just as Amanda rushed into the room.  
  
Seeing that the doctor was apparently telling Lee something important, she touched the doctor's arm, and said in an embarrassed whisper, "Oh, excuse me, Doctor. . ."  
  
"Zimmerman, Karen Zimmerman. . .just call me Karen," she said. "I was just telling Lee about some of the side effects of radiation therapy, and I was about to tell him. . .that most often they go away soon after we're finished with the treatments."  
  
"Oh, " Amanda said quietly, looking to Lee as she carried on with a smile, "Well that's good to know, isn't it?"  
  
"Yeah. . ." Lee replied, but he wasn't looking forward to feeling tired and sick all the time. His continuing headaches were bad enough. He winced slightly as he felt the pain coming back.  
  
Amanda picked up on his look, as she caught his eyes and said, "Do we need to. . ."  
  
He nodded, placing a hand up to his forehead, and Amanda pushed the call- button for him.  
  
Karen Zimmerman had watched their interaction and hurried to finish what she'd come to tell them. "I'll be outta here in a minute, but I did want to let you know a little about the treatment schedule. As I said, whenever Dr. G. releases you, we'll get started, and you'll have treatments five days a week, for probably six or seven weeks, depending on how you're doing at that point."  
  
"How long does each treatment take?" Amanda asked, as she leaned her hip into the opposite side of Lee's bed.  
  
"Well. . .the treatments themselves are really fast--just a few minutes, but you need to allow about thirty to forty-five minutes for each one," Karen replied. "Anything else?"  
  
Lee and Amanda looked to each other and both shrugged, not being able to thing of any more questions just yet. "All right, then," Karen said, "I'll just leave you these brochures and be on my way."  
  
After Karen Zimmerman left them and the nurse of the hour gave him the pain medication, Lee reached up to take Amanda's hand, entwining their fingers. He looked up into her tired eyes and said, "Well. I guess it's gonna be a long road, hm?"  
  
"Yeah," she said softly, leaning down for a kiss, "but we're gonna make it, Sweetheart."  
  
********  
  
At Lee's insistence, Amanda finally agreed to go home and try to get some sleep in a real bed. She hated leaving him there, but she had to admit the last couple of days had been exhausting, and the doctor's treatment forecast didn't bode well for easier days any time soon.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	8. Next On the Horizon

Stormy Weather II  
  
by matahari2  
  
Summary / Disclaimers, etc.: See Chapter 1  
  
Feedback: Yes! Please! Read and Review!  
  
Chapter Eight – Next On the Horizon  
  
Galilee General – One Week After Lee's Surgery  
  
Dr. Jake Gottlieb had just finished examining Lee, and was in the process of completing his release orders. As he signed the top copy of the form, he asked over his glasses, "Well. . .Mr. Stetson, are you ready to go home?"  
  
Lee's forced smile was clouded by a look of apprehension as he took in a ragged breath, saying, "Yeah. . .just as soon as my wife gets here." He peered over the doctor's shoulder toward the door, willing her to come. When she didn't materialize immediately, he tapped his fingers against the side of the bed and muttered, "I honestly don't know what could be keeping her. . ."  
  
"Don't worry, there's no rush," Dr. Gottlieb said calmly, setting the forms down on the bedside table and reaching out to touch Lee's shoulder. "I'll leave your orders at the nurses' station, and whenever your wife comes, you're free to go." As he capped his pen and inserted it in the pocket of his lab coat, the surgeon looked into Lee's eyes and said, "You're a lucky man, Mr. Stetson. We were able to remove over ninety percent of the tumor, your swelling abated without much help from us, and. . ."  
  
"That's all good to know, Doc, but. . ." Lee broke in.  
  
Dr. Gottlieb held up his hand and interrupted, "Ah. . .I see. You're worried about the radiation treatments. . .or more likely, the possible side effects, right?"  
  
"Right," Lee admitted with a sigh. "Karen. . .Dr. Zimmerman ran through several of them with me. And I understand it's all part of the healing process, but I'm not used to being weak or sick. And I don't like to think of myself as being vain, but the prospect of losing all my hair isn't very appealing, either."  
  
"I know, Mr. Stetson, believe me," Dr. Gottlieb stated, "I completely understand. But the good news is that most, if not all of those side effects will disappear when the treatments are finished. So hang in there. You'll get lots of help along the way. Just take it. . ."  
  
"One step at a time," Lee finished for him, with a trace of a smile. "Yeah. I will. . .we will."  
  
Dr. Gottlieb picked up the forms and reached out to shake Lee's hand, saying, "Good. I'll see you next week for a follow-up visit. Now take care of yourself!"  
  
"All right. Thanks, Doc." Lee said, as the doctor turned to leave.  
  
********  
  
Amanda stood in the middle of the kitchen, with the phone propped between her shoulder and her ear as she set the milk out on the island for Jenny's cereal. "Yes, Mother. . .that's right," she said, the hurry-up sounding in her voice. "Lee's supposed to be released this morning. He's probably waiting for me right now. . .oh no, of course not, Mother, I'm always glad to talk to you," she said, forcing a smile and darting a don't-you-dare glance at Jenny. The poor girl had to run out of the room to keep from bursting into fits of laughter within earshot of her grandmother.  
  
"Okay, Jenny, all clear!" Amanda called to her daughter after hanging up the phone. "Come on, now, it's time to finish breakfast and get you to school."  
  
Jenny obliged, sitting down to eat her cereal. In between bites, she said, "I'm really glad Dad's coming home today. . .wish I could go with you."  
  
Amanda caught Jenny's hopeful look and said, "I know, Sweetheart, but we've already been through this. You've missed so much school already in the last couple of months, when. . ."  
  
"Yeah, I know, Mom," Jenny said in understanding, her eyes downcast. She took a quick breath and said, "I guess I'll just wait to see you both when I get home from school."  
  
After Jenny'd finished eating and hurried upstairs to get her books, Amanda took a quick inventory of the refrigerator. She'd read through the brochures Karen Zimmerman had given them, about helping the patient to overcome a loss of appetite and provide the kind of food that would help to build his strength. She'd gone grocery shopping especially for Lee, and the fridge was now well stocked with sports drinks, yogurt, cheese, snack-packs of applesauce, and plenty of fresh fruit. She'd also bought a variety of nutrition drinks, just in case solid food didn't always appeal to him. She closed the fridge and gave herself a nod of approval, while she tried not to think about the reason for her shopping excursion. Before such thoughts could fully invade her mind, Jenny came dashing down the stairs, and the two of them headed out to Nathan Hale Middle School.  
  
********  
  
Ever since the doctor had left him, Lee had alternated between pacing the perimeter of his room and checking the hospital corridor for any sign of Amanda. He'd managed to annoy the nurses at least twice by pushing his call- button and asking if they'd heard from her. Just when he was completing the circuit once more, Amanda blew into his room in a flurry of apologies, carrying a gym bag and a shirt and pair of jeans on a hanger.  
  
"Oh, Lee. . .I'm so sorry!" she said, setting the gym bag on the bedside table and handing him the hanger. She wrung her hands as she continued, "I'd just put Jenny's breakfast on the table when Mother called." She kept on, smoothing the outside of her slacks with one hand and thrusting the other up in frustration, "and then there was a wreck in front of us on the way to school and traffic had to be diverted, and. . ."  
  
"It's okay, Amanda," Lee cut in, reaching out to take hold of her hand. "Really. None of that's your fault. I'm just glad you're here now," he said softly, moving his other arm around her waist and pulling her into his arms.  
  
"Good," she whispered, resting her head on his shoulder as she returned his embrace. "I'm glad too."  
  
Lee pulled back to look into her eyes and said, "What d'ya say I go ahead and get dressed, so we can ditch this place?"  
  
"Sounds great, Sweetheart," Amanda replied with a sweet smile, giving him a soft kiss on the lips before turning away to go and close the door.  
  
Lee made quick work of changing into his own clothes, stuffing his robe and the few toiletries they'd brought from home into the gym bag. "All right, let's go," he said as he picked up the gym bag and held his hand out to her.  
  
They picked up the release order, prescriptions and the appointment card for Lee's follow-up visit to Dr. Gottlieb. Lee was disgusted when the nurse insisted he had to leave the hospital in a wheelchair, but she assured him it was hospital policy. He finally conceded, saying, "All right. . .as long as it gets me outta here!"  
  
********  
  
On their way home, Amanda suggested, "Why don't we go ahead and drop off your prescriptions at the pharmacy? After you get settled in at home, I'll go back and pick them up, okay?"  
  
"What? Oh, yeah. . .sure, that's fine," he said, his mind apparently a million miles away as he gazed out the passenger-side window.  
  
"Lee?" she asked, looking over in his direction for a second, "what did Dr. Zimmerman. . .Karen. . .say about your first treatment? When is it?"  
  
"Wednesday, the first appointment's Wednesday, at 10:00 a.m. I think," he said, turning to look at her. "It's in there with the discharge papers. Anyway, she said they have to do what they call a simulation. They'll take x-ray's and determine the specific area to be treated, the 'field', I believe she called it, and they'll make a mold of my head, neck, and upper body." At her slight frown, he went on to explain, "They do that so I can be positioned in the mold when I come back for the actual treatments. . .that way the radiation will always be targeting the right area."  
  
Amanda kept her eyes straight ahead as she commented, "That makes sense. Did she say anything else. . .you know, about what to expect. . .afterwards?"  
  
"Yeah. . ." he said, pausing to prepare his response. "Among other things. . .she said I might be sick to my stomach right after the treatments, and my scalp may feel like it's been sunburned and my ears'll probably feel the same. There's also the chance that I'll. . ." he paused again, swallowing before he went on, "lose my um. . .hair."  
  
"Awww, Sweetheart!" she whispered, her voice tinged with the sound of hidden tears, "it'd grow back though, right?" She felt silly asking about such a seemingly trivial consequence of the treatment, but she'd always loved his gorgeous hair.  
  
His cheeks colored slightly as he answered, "Well, she said most people's hair does come back. The texture may be a little softer," he explained, reaching across the car to stroke her arm as he went on, "But hey. . .we'll take what we can get, right?"  
  
"Right," Amanda said quietly, ducking her head slightly, with a sheepish grin.  
  
They dropped the prescriptions off at a pharmacy in Middleburg, and traveled the remaining three miles to their home. As excited as Lee was about getting there, he found himself unable to stifle a yawn just as they pulled up into the driveway.  
  
"Pretty tired, huh?" Amanda asked with a knowing grin.  
  
"Mm-hm, I suppose I am," he said, yawning once more. "I guess my luxurious hospital bed left a lot to be desired."  
  
"Right," she agreed, opening the door for him and handing him the gym bag. "And I'm sure they were coming in to check on you every hour on the hour, too," she added. "Why don't you go up and lie down for awhile. . .take a little rest?" she suggested, motioning with her hand toward the stairs.  
  
"A-man-da! I've just spent the last. . ." he started, then stopped himself at her worried look. He went on in a softer tone, "several days in bed. . .but all right. . .I'll get some rest, if you insist."  
  
"Thank you," she whispered, taking his hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. She brushed a finger down his arm lightly as he turned to walk up the stairs. "I'll be back in a little while. . .I love you. . ." she said, her voice fading out as she lost sight of him.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	9. Thunder and Lightning

Stormy Weather II  
  
by matahari2  
  
Summary / Disclaimers, etc.: See Chapter 1  
  
Feedback: Yes! Please! Read and Review!  
  
Chapter Nine – Thunder and Lightning  
  
As Amanda came out of the drugstore with Lee's prescriptions, she looked up to the eerie, gray-green skies and saw a dark, threatening line of clouds approaching from the west. She hurried out to the Explorer as the first raindrops dotted the surface of the parking lot. After fastening her seatbelt and turning the key in the ignition, she picked up her cell phone and dialed her mother's number.  
  
"Hello, Mother?" she started, "Lee's home from the hospital. . .yes, yes it is great news, right. . .well, he's tired, but. . .yes, Mother, he's resting right now, as a matter of fact. Anyway, Mother, I was actually calling to tell you that there's no need for you and Kurt to pick Jenny up from school today. See, I'm already out in the car anyway, so. . .at the pharmacy, Mother. Anyway, the weather looks like it might take a turn for the worse real soon, so I'd hate for you to have to be out in it. Thanks, Mother. . .we'll call you later. 'Bye."  
  
********  
  
Amanda leaned across the front seat to open the passenger-side door a crack as Jenny scrambled toward her in the pouring rain. "Oh my gosh! Sweetheart, you're soaked," she cried out, tipping the door open a bit wider.  
  
"No!" Jenny replied in mock surprise, looking over her drenched clothing. Immediately, the corners of her mouth turned up in a wry grin.  
  
Seeing the humor in Jenny's eyes, Amanda gave her a fake smile and countered, "Very funny." She reached around behind the front seat and handed Jenny a towel, saying, "Now, here. . .why don't you dry yourself off as much as you can, all right?"  
  
Jenny wiped her face and arms, and toweled her hair as well, asking, "So Daddy's home from the hospital now, right? How's he doing?"  
  
While she pulled out onto the road, Amanda glanced into the side mirror as she replied, "I'd say he's doing pretty well. . .all things considered. . ."  
  
"Which means?" Jenny nudged, as she kept her gaze fixed on her mother's profile.  
  
"Well. . ." Amanda faltered, searching for the right words. She spared a quick glance at Jenny's determined face and gave her a mildly reassuring smile as she went on, "He really is feeling pretty well today. . .it's just that he's so tired."  
  
Jenny's face took on a pensive look as she paused a moment before saying, "But that's not all, is it, Mom?"  
  
Keeping her eyes straight ahead and kneading the steering wheel with nervous fingers, Amanda admitted, "No. . .you're right, Sweetheart. I suppose the surgery was prob'ly harder on him than he expected. . .and then he had really bad headaches for a few days, from the swelling. . ." She paused, sparing Jenny another quick glance as she went on, "I told you about those, remember? Anyway, since the swelling went away, he's feeling much better," she said, punctuating her statement with a nod that she hoped would signal finality.  
  
No such luck, though. Jenny kept at her. "That's real good to know, Mom. . .really," she said earnestly, "but. . .Mom? Do they know? Was it cancer? Did they get it all?"  
  
Amanda pulled the Explorer off onto the shoulder, stopping and shifting into 'Park' before turning to face her insistent daughter. She reached over and squeezed Jenny's hand, giving her an affectionate smile before she answered her all-important questions. "Sweetheart. . .I know none of us likes to use the word. . .but yes. . .it was. . .cancer, and no. . .they didn't get quite all of it. . ."  
  
At Jenny's crestfallen look, Amanda caressed her face tenderly, tipping her chin up and making eye contact as she continued, "We knew to expect that part going in, Jenny. They did get most of it, though. . ."  
  
"Good," Jenny said in a subdued voice, as she shifted her gaze to the windshield, now covered in sheets of rainwater. She looked back into her mother's eyes to demand the last answer. "But what about the rest of it?"  
  
"Well. . ." Amanda began hesitantly, "that's where the radiation treatments come in. Within a couple of months, the doctors believe the rest of the. . .uh. . .the cancer will be gone."  
  
"And then he'll be cured?" Jenny asked, her eyebrows framing the question hopefully.  
  
Amanda's breath caught as she realized yet another of the similarities between father and daughter. Hadn't she seen the same look on Lee's face just days ago? She'd have been willing to give anything in this world to grant her daughter's wish at that moment. 'If only. . .' she thought wearily. Instead, she admitted with a rueful smile, "Sort of. See, doctors prefer not to use the word 'cure' until the patient's survived for at least five years or more. But if you mean, will he start to be healthy again, then yes, Sweetheart. I'm counting on it," she added, her eyes brightening at the prospect.  
  
"Okay, Mom, then I will too," Jenny said, nodding to emphasize her last three words.  
  
"Good," Amanda whispered, smiling and giving her hand a gentle squeeze before putting the car into gear and easing out onto the road.  
  
********  
  
Lee awakened with a start to the crashing sound of thunder. The bedroom seemed dark. Wasn't it still the middle of the day? He threw back the covers and sat up on the edge of the bed, squinting at the numberless alarm clock. He tried turning on the bedside lamp. . .nothing. 'Terrific!' he thought, 'a power outage.' Feeling his way across the room, he found the cord for the drapes and gave it a gentle tug, letting in at least a small amount of the scant daylight. He managed to find his shoes and slipped them on, then reached into Amanda's nightstand for the flashlight she kept there. He clicked it on and carefully made his way down the stairs.  
  
"Amanda?" he called to the empty family room. Holding the flashlight over his watch, he took note of the time. . .3:45 p.m. Where could Amanda be? She was just going to the drugstore, wasn't she? That had to have been about 1:00, 1:30 the latest. What could've taken her so long? 'Oh no!' he panicked, remembering the thunder and lightning and the darkened sky, 'what if she's been in an accident or something!' With urgency in his step, he turned and walked to the dining room, pulling the curtain aside and watching out the front window. About five minutes later, he saw her pulling into the driveway with Jenny. He let out a sigh of relief, sliding a shaking hand down the back of his hair. He found his way back through the kitchen just as the lights came back on. Setting the flashlight down, he shoved a hand in his pocket and leaned against the counter, doing his best to look calm as Amanda and Jenny came in the back door.  
  
"Daddy!" Jenny shouted happily, running in to wrap her arms around his waist and lay her head against his chest. "I'm so glad you're home!"  
  
He kissed the top of her head and returned her hug as he replied, "Me, too, Jenny." Stroking her back and then releasing his hold on her, he looked over to Amanda, saying, "I'm glad you're home, too. What happened? What took you so long?"  
  
"We pulled off the road for awhile after I picked Jenny up from school," she answered factually, if not completely. At his questioning look, she went on, "the rain, Lee. . .it was coming down in sheets," she hedged, pointedly ignoring Jenny's wide-eyed stare.  
  
"Oh. . .yeah, right. . .the storm, " Lee mused aloud. "We had a power outage, you know."  
  
"Yeah, Dad--we saw the lights come back on just a minute ago," Jenny volunteered from behind him. She'd opened the refrigerator and taken out a juice box when she made a sweeping circular motion with her hand, asking, "Mom! What's all this stuff?"  
  
"Oh that?" Amanda said with a slightly nervous smile, rounding the island and closing the refrigerator. "That's just. . .'just-in-case' food, Jenny," she said with a dismissive wave of her hand and a look that stilled any further questions. "Now, go on upstairs, why don't you? You need to get out of those wet clothes."  
  
"Yeah. . .okay, Mom," Jenny said as she picked up her juice and headed up the stairs.  
  
Lee turned to face Amanda, leaning his hands into the island as he quirked an eyebrow and asked, "Just-in-case food? What's that about?"  
  
She turned away to take a glass out of the cabinet, opening the refrigerator again to take a few pieces of ice and drop them into the glass as she began her answer. "Well, it's just that some of the brochures that Karen. . .Dr. Zimmerman. . .gave us said that. . .you know, after your treatments start. . ." she stalled, pouring apple juice over the ice.  
  
"Yes?" he questioned, his eyes urging her on.  
  
"Well they said that. . .you might not always feel like eating. . .well, not full meals, anyway, and that it was a good idea to keep a supply of healthy snack-size portions of some of the foods that might appeal to you on hand." She took a sip of the juice and glanced down at the countertop, her eyes following the imaginary lines she drew with her finger.  
  
"That makes sense," he acknowledged. He dipped his head slightly to connect with her eyes as he said softly, "Amanda? Thanks."  
  
"Aw, it's. . .nothing" she whispered, waving it off.  
  
He shook his head slightly and smiled. He stood back from the counter and rubbed his hands together as he said in a brighter tone of voice, "Hey. . .you know something? After all that vile stuff they tried to pass off as food in the hospital, and before my 'torture' starts. . ." he paused, giving her a wink, "I'm up for some real food tonight! So what are we having?"  
  
Turning to open the refrigerator, Amanda smiled, saying, "Well, we have some good steaks here, and how about baked potatoes and a nice salad?"  
  
"Sounds great," Lee replied, coming around to stand behind her and resting his hands on her shoulders. "Anything I can do to help?"  
  
********  
  
Wednesday Morning – Galilee General Radiation Therapy Lab  
  
The radiation technician tapped Lee's shoulder lightly as he said, "All right, Mr. Stetson, you can get up now. Everything's set up for your first treatment. . .we've identified the field," he paused, looking at the chart in his hand, "and we'll be ready to begin tomorrow. The receptionist here can arrange the appointment for you."  
  
"Thanks," Lee said, following the young man out to the reception desk.  
  
After he'd set the appointment time for the following day, Amanda came up to his side, slipping her hand into the crook of his elbow and asking, "Well. . .how'd it go?"  
  
He placed his hand at the small of her back and guided her out of the waiting room as he replied, "It was just the way Karen explained it to me—I had to lie down on the table and they took several x-rays. After they made the 'body mold', that was pretty much it."  
  
As they wound through the corridors to the exit, Amanda smiled and said, "Oh. . .well, good, I'm glad that part was easy."  
  
********  
  
Thursday Afternoon – Stetson Residence  
  
'What a difference a day makes!' Lee thought ruefully, as he leaned over the porcelain bowl he feared would become his new best friend. The treatment itself had been painless, just as he'd been told, but within a few hours, he'd lost his breakfast coffee and the half-bagel Amanda had insisted on. Even with nothing left in his stomach, the nausea persisted.  
  
"Ugh! I hate this!" he groused as he stomped down the stairs and into the kitchen.  
  
"Oh, I know, Sweetheart," Amanda said tenderly, as she set her teacup back into the saucer on the island. She came over to him and placed a hand on his back, stroking it gently as she said, "You know, you really should at least have something to. . ."  
  
He held up a hand to stop her friendly advice. Walking away from her toward the sink, he shouted with a sickly frown, "No thank you! I'm giving up eating until this is over!"  
  
"Well, actually, I wasn't going to suggest that you eat anything right now, Lee," she interjected with a trace of irritation behind her forced smile. "But you really should have a little something to drink, so you don't become dehydrated," she carried on, opening the fridge and pulling out a large bottle of pale orange liquid.  
  
"Oh," he replied quietly, giving up his protest with a weak smile as he turned back to face her.  
  
As she watched him take a test-sip of the sports drink she'd offered, Amanda pondered, 'If he's already this sick, what must we have to look forward to?'  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	10. Shadows and Sunlight

Stormy Weather II  
  
by matahari2  
  
Summary / Disclaimers, etc.: See Chapter 1  
  
Feedback: Yes! Please! Read and Review!  
  
Chapter Ten – Shadows and Sunlight  
  
Stetson Residence – Friday Evening  
  
Lee didn't know what to do with his hands. He hadn't realized how regularly he'd resorted to the nervous mannerism of running his fingers through his hair. . .that is, until it was gone. He'd lost it all after only two weeks of radiation treatments, and now his scalp and the tops of his ears looked and felt as though he'd been sunburned. It took him by surprise each time he passed a mirror and saw the reflection. . .he couldn't believe that alien creature was really him. He paced the length of the bedroom, drumming his fingers against his leg, muttering under his breath, "Amanda! Come on! What can be taking you so long?"  
  
He whirled around to see the object of his mutterings, as Amanda pushed the door open and said breathlessly, "Sorry, Sweetheart! They were short-handed at the pharmacy, but here's that cream Karen prescribed for you." She met him halfway across the room and took hold of his hand. She looked into his anxious eyes, whispering, "C'mon. . .why don't you just have a seat here on the bed, and I'll help you with this. . .okay?"  
  
"Okay. . .thanks," he said softly as he followed her suggestion.  
  
She situated herself behind him on the bed, squeezing a small amount of the ointment onto her fingers and spreading it ever so lightly over his scalp. "I hope this helps you feel better," she said soothingly.  
  
"Mm-hm," he agreed, "Me too. It's starting to feel a little cooler, anyway. Amanda?"  
  
"Mm?" she responded quietly as she continued to apply the ointment.  
  
"I'm sorry I was kinda grumpy earlier," he said, starting to apologize.  
  
Amanda broke in, saying, "Aw, Lee. . .it's okay, I understand."  
  
"No, Amanda. I wish you wouldn't let me off so easily sometimes," he said, insisting on continuing his apology. "You know you don't deserve all the grief I've given you. And it's not just this damn disease, either. I guess I'm just worried. . .anxious. . .whatever. . ." he said haltingly, pausing to catch her eyes in the mirror as he went on, "I just feel so useless right now."  
  
She reacted to his forlorn reflection with consternation. She shook her head and shouted, "Useless?!? You? No way! Hm-mm! Lee. . ." she said, drawing out his name, "you've been sick. . .very sick. . .but you're recovering, aren't you?"  
  
He started to open his mouth to reply, but she went on, "At least that's what the doctors are telling us. It's the treatments that make you feel so tired all the time, but they won't go on forever," she said, the tension in her voice rising. She paused for a second, looking down at her hands on his scalp, then reconnected with his eyes as she asked in a quieter tone of voice, "Is it work? Is that what you're so worried about?"  
  
He averted his gaze, clasping his hands together as he admitted with a sigh, "Yeah. . .I keep thinking. . .they've done without me for over three weeks now--by the time I can get back to the office on any kind of a regular basis, Ms. Kingston will have decided I'm nothing but an unnecessary expense. . .just one more budget cut for Field Section!" he added with a self-deprecating grin.  
  
Having already set the tube of ointment aside, Amanda leaned forward slightly, sliding her hands over his shoulders. "Lee. . .please don't think that way," she urged, resting her cheek into his and crossing her arms over his chest in a gentle hug. "Besides," she said, tilting her head away slightly, "I have reason to believe that you couldn't be more wrong about Alberta Kingston."  
  
Reaching a hand up to stroke her crossed arms, he asked, "Oh, really? How'd you come to believe that?"  
  
"The old-fashioned way, " Amanda replied, backing away and pushing off of his shoulders. "I talked to her," she said straightforwardly, standing to carry the tube of ointment back to their bathroom. As she passed in front of him, she turned back to say, "Actually, it was more like, she talked to me. . .well anyway, we talked, and. . ."  
  
Lee looked dumfounded. "You talked?" he asked, rising to follow her and leaning a hand against the bathroom doorpost. "When was this?"  
  
"Just yesterday, Lee," she replied in a slightly defensive tone. She brushed past him as she went back into the bedroom and began to turn down the bedspread, saying, "Now, look. . .it's not like I'm trying to keep anything from you, you know? This was my first full week back in the office, and I guess I must've looked worried, or preoccupied or something, and she asked me into her office for a talk, that's all."  
  
He'd turned around, his eyes following her every move. He hadn't so much listened, as waited for his turn to speak. "What'd she have to say?" he asked, as he unfastened his belt and slid it through the loops.  
  
"Well. . ." she paused, looking into the distance for a moment, then went on to say, "For one thing, she told me about some of her own experiences with. . ."  
  
"Cancer," Lee finished for her. He nodded and said, "Yes, I know about that—Francine told me that she's a cancer survivor, which is all well and good, but. . ."  
  
"Lee! Do you want to hear this or not?" Amanda asked, her patience working overtime. At his silent nod, she went on, "She's been through some of the same things you're feeling. . .she lost her hair due to chemotherapy, and she had the nausea and loss of appetite and constant fatigue. . .depression, too."  
  
Amanda sat down on the bed, turning one leg underneath her and smoothing the comforter with her fingers as she looked up into his eyes. "She understands, Lee, and she asked me how you were feeling. When I started to list your symptoms, she stopped me and said what she really needed to know was how you were handling all of this mentally. . .emotionally."  
  
"Oh, no. . ." he said, shaking his head and apparently already reaching his own conclusion. He lifted a hand toward his head and dropped it to his side self-consciously, then started to pace the room as he carried on, "Don't tell me—she wants me to come in and see the Agency shrink!"  
  
"No," Amanda replied quietly.  
  
He spun around to face her, spreading his hands and saying, "I'm not gonna do it, I tell you. . ." All of a sudden, his eyes took on a questioning look and his mouth dropped open for a second. "No? Did you say no?" he asked incredulously.  
  
"Yes," Amanda said with a small smile, "I said 'No'."  
  
"Okay, I'll bite," he said, raising an eyebrow as he came to sit beside her on the bed. "What did she have in mind?"  
  
"She'd like to talk with you. . .she wants to see you," Amanda said, reaching out to stroke the back of his hand.  
  
"I don't know, Amanda," he said, staring at their hands for a moment before going on. "I'm not sure I'm ready to go back there yet. . .you know, with. . ." he hesitated again, drawing an imaginary circle around his head, "with all this," he finished, his gaze sinking to the floor.  
  
"Oh, Sweetheart!" Amanda said tenderly, her eyes full of compassion for him. She squeezed his hand gently, saying, "Alberta will understand that. . .she does understand. . .she even suggested that we could come in some evening, or on the weekend, if you like."  
  
"That sounds good," Lee agreed, finally making eye contact with her. His eyes narrowed slightly as he asked, "Alberta?"  
  
Amanda nodded in response, saying, "Yeah, can you believe it? She told me to call her that. I know. . .she can come off a little harsh when you first meet her, but there's a real person inside that protective covering. . .kinda like someone else I know," she said with a smirk.  
  
Lee did his best to act as though he was unaffected by her remark, but he couldn't keep the corners of his mouth from turning up slightly, and his face broke into an embarrassed grin. He took on a more serious look as he asked, "Well, did 'Alberta' tell you what she wanted to talk about?"  
  
"Well. . .she said something about your work schedule." At his look of surprise, Amanda went on to explain, "Now, she's not gonna push you to come back full time before you're ready, but she mentioned something about gradually bringing you back 'into the loop', and possibly staying in contact by phone, at least every few days. So don't you say another word about feeling 'useless', all right?"  
  
"All right," he said, nodding his assent as he rubbed gentle circles over her fingertips with his thumb. "Thanks," he whispered, as he leaned in for a soft kiss.  
  
********  
  
Saturday Morning – Applegate Farm Stables  
  
Lee and Amanda stood side by side, leaning against the white fence as they watched the last few minutes of Jenny's group riding lesson. Amanda slipped her hand around Lee's arm and looked up to him as she whispered, "Y'know something? You were right all those years ago. . .about kids and horses. Look at her, Lee! She's having the time of her life!"  
  
"She is, isn't she?" Lee confirmed, his face lighting up as he continued to follow their daughter with his eyes. He turned slightly to meet Amanda's warm smile. He placed his hand over hers and said, "I'm really glad you talked me into coming along today. It's great to see Jenny so happy. . .and hey, I feel a lot better, just getting out of the house for a change!"  
  
"Yeah. . .I kinda figured you would," Amanda said, with a twinkle in her eyes. "I mean, you've never enjoyed being cooped up anywhere for too long."  
  
He grinned in response, saying, "You've got that right!"  
  
"It's good the weather's improved since last week, huh?" Amanda asked as she watched Jenny ease through her last jump.  
  
"Yeah. . .I've got to admit, all those thunderstorms and rain were kinda depressing," Lee acknowledged with a wry smile. "Of course, I didn't feel much like doing anything, either."  
  
"Oh, you mean the nausea and. . ." Amanda put in.  
  
"Right, and the tiredness," he added with emphasis. "I can't remember when I've ever been so tired." He turned around, leaning his elbows back against the fence as he paused, looking off into the distance as if trying to remember something. Then his eyes brightened as it came back to him. He spread his hands in front of him as he said, "You know, when I was telling Karen about feeling so tired all the time, she told me exercise might help. . .I don't know, maybe it gets your blood flowing again. What d'you think?"  
  
"It sounds like a good idea to me, Sweetheart," she said, touching his arm as she went on, "As long as you don't push yourself too hard."  
  
"Would I do that?" he said with a wink, pointing to himself.  
  
Amanda sighed and rolled her eyes, then looked back to see Jenny coming out of the arena with her horse in tow. "Hey, Sweetie!" she greeted, "You're lookin' great out there!"  
  
Jenny smiled and continued to walk her horse back to the stable along with her fellow students. A tall, slim brunette in riding gear came up to shake hands with Amanda, saying, "Hi, Mrs. Stetson. Thanks for coming out today."  
  
"Hi, Kristin!" Amanda said cheerfully. "I don't believe you've met my husband, Lee Stetson, Jenny's father." She turned towards her husband and then back to the young woman. "Lee, this is Kristin Haas. . .Jenny's riding instructor."  
  
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Stetson." Kristin smiled and extended her hand to Jenny's father.  
  
"You, too, Kristin," he said as they shook hands. "So. . .you train a lot of young riders, do you?"  
  
"Well, I do this group class, and I have a few private students." She gestured with her hand to invite them to walk back to the stable with her. "But mostly, I manage this place." Drawing a wide circle with her hand, she indicated the stable area.  
  
"Kristin tells me some pretty important people board their horses here," Amanda commented, as they reached the stable entrance.  
  
Kristin blushed slightly and ducked her head. "Well. . .we do have a few horses here that belong to Senators, Congressmen, and an Ambassador or two, but most of our boarders are locals. . .you know, hunt club types," she said with an upward glance.  
  
Amanda knew just what she meant. She couldn't hold back a small laugh as she thought how well Francine. . .the old Francine. . .would have fit in here in Loudoun county, the de facto headquarters for 'hunt club types'.  
  
Just then, Lee saw Jenny coming towards them. "All set?" he asked.  
  
"Yup! All set and ready for lunch!" Jenny answered, sliding a hand around her Dad's waist, as Amanda bid goodbye to Kristin and the three of them took off for home.  
  
********  
  
Monday Evening – The Agency  
  
Lee had settled himself into one of the chairs facing Alberta Kingston's desk. He traced the piping on the leather wing-back chair and said earnestly, "Ms. Kingston, I can't begin to tell you how much I appreciate you letting me come in at an 'off-peak' time like this. It means a lot, especially with. . .um. . .you know. . ." he went on, tipping his head to the side and fumbling for words.  
  
"Yes. . .I know exactly what you mean, Lee," she said, looking directly into his eyes. "And please. . .call me Alberta. Now, from what all the senior people around here tell me, you're a very important, highly respected member of my team. It's unfortunate we didn't get a chance to get very well acquainted before, but. . ."  
  
"I'm sorry about that," Lee tried to interrupt.  
  
Alberta cut his apology short. "My goodness, man! Why would you need to apologize, after all you and your family have been through? No, no, no! All I meant to say was, since we didn't get to know each other very well in the beginning, why not take the time to do it now, while we have the chance?"  
  
"Oh," Lee responded quietly, surprised and relieved by Alberta's genuine, practical approach to the situation. He looked across to her, relaxing into the chair as he said, "All right then, 'Alberta', what would you like to know?"  
  
********  
  
Right off the bat, she'd wanted to know something about his childhood: she told him she'd figured they might have quite a bit in common, both growing up on military bases around the world, and both having 'starched-and- pressed', 'spit-and-polish' father figures to boot. They talked for over an hour about personal things, including his 'chance' meeting with Amanda at the train station nearly two decades before, and how they'd come together as a couple three years later. They'd also discussed their shared experiences with the aftereffects of cancer treatment. Lee found a good deal of comfort, finally realizing there was someone else who knew exactly what he was feeling.  
  
During the second hour of their get-acquainted session, Alberta brought him up to date on the hottest of his agents' current cases, promising to arrange a satellite hookup the following day so he could monitor the cases from his home office. They agreed to meet two evenings a week until he was ready to come back on a more permanent basis and the rest of his gradually increasing work could be handled from home. As he stood up to leave, Lee smiled, thinking to himself, 'I couldn't ask for a better deal than this.'  
  
"Thanks, Alberta," he said sincerely, reaching out to shake her hand. "Thanks for everything."  
  
"It's no problem, Lee. . .really," Alberta replied as she let go of his hand. "I just wanted you to know you're important to us here, and we need you back with us. . .as soon as you're ready." Almost as an afterthought, she added, "Oh. . .and Lee? Nice hat."  
  
He gave her a dimpled grin before leaving the office, chuckling to himself as he remembered, with all the baseball caps Amanda'd recently bought for him, he'd picked tonight to wear the red one.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	11. Twists and Turns

Stormy Weather II  
  
by matahari2  
  
Summary / Disclaimers, etc.: See Chapter 1  
  
Feedback: Yes! Please! Read and Review!  
  
Chapter Eleven – Twists and Turns  
  
Thursday Evening – Applegate Farm Stables  
  
Kristin Haas had just turned off the computer in the small office she kept at the end of the stable. She was reasonably sure that everything was in order for the show coming up on Saturday, but she had an odd sense of foreboding. She'd check the stalls one more time to be sure all the horses were all right, then order herself a pizza from the carry-out place around the corner and call it a night.  
  
After Kristin ducked back into the office to make her phone call, two men appeared, having a conversation outside, at the opposite end of the stable. The tall, prematurely gray-haired man was Senator Charles Winston. The other, a swarthy, dark-haired man, was not so well known. The two men walked through the open stable as they carried on their conversation.  
  
As they neared the office, Kristin heard their two voices, both of them sounding quite intense. She recognized one of the voices as one of her clients. 'Senator Winston!' she thought, 'what's going on here?' She detected some kind of foreign accent from the second man, but she couldn't place its origin. The only words she was able to discern were in the foreign man's voice: "You must have the plans here by 5:00 p.m. Saturday, or I cannot vouch for the safety of your daughter." At that, Kristin's jaw dropped. She heard the senator shout something in response, but he was evidently walking away, because she couldn't follow what he'd actually said. She suddenly realized the overhead light was still on in the office. Not wanting to be noticed, she tiptoed, as silently as she could, over beside the partially open office door and flicked off the light switch.  
  
Senator Winston had already started for his car, but the other man had hung back, taking one more look into the darkening stable, just as the office light went out. He stepped past the opening and peered around the edge, waiting for the occupant of the office to emerge.  
  
********  
  
Friday Morning – Breakfast with the Stetsons  
  
Lee punched the 'pulse' button on the blender one last time and lifted the pitcher off of its base, pouring his ice cream-enhanced protein shake into a tall glass. He'd just rinsed out the pitcher and started to take a sip of the cool drink when he turned to the sound of Amanda's voice.  
  
"Well! You're up early!" she said with an infectious smile, as she opened the cabinet to take out her mug. "Do you have some special plans?"  
  
"No. . .not really. I just thought I might walk a little longer today." He took another sip and moved to seat himself on one of the barstools as he watched Amanda prepare the coffee.  
  
Amanda went ahead with the breakfast preparations, pouring a small amount of oil into the iron skillet and turning on the burner. Her voice still held a smile as she questioned, "Where do you go on these walks of yours? Don't get me wrong—I'm glad you're getting out and getting the exercise, and I'm sure it's doing you a world of good, building up your energy and stamina and all. . .but I just wondered. . ."  
  
He grinned at her stream-of-consciousness question, and wiped away his milk- mustache with a napkin. "Well. . .some days I walk into town and stop in at the coffee shop, and other times I go in a different direction, like today. I thought maybe I'd head out towards Applegate Farm."  
  
She'd pulled two eggs out of the refrigerator and cracked them one by one on the edge of the pan. Through the sizzle, she said, "That oughta be a nice trip, Sweetheart, 'specially on a bright, clear morning like this."  
  
Jenny meandered into the kitchen and took up a position on the stool next to her father. Her eyes were still at half-mast, but she managed a "Morning, Dad. . .Mom," before she leaned her elbows on the counter and rested her chin on her cupped hands.  
  
Amanda saw Jenny's eyelids starting to droop. She shook her head and warned with a no-nonsense look, "Oh no, ya don't! Come on and get your toast and juice. Eggs'll be ready in just a minute."  
  
"Okay, Mom," Jenny said, complying with her mother's orders.  
  
After she'd eaten about half of her breakfast, Jenny's morning fog began to clear, and she asked, "Dad? Did I hear you say something about Applegate Farm?"  
  
Lee had just taken a sip of coffee. He swallowed and set the mug down before answering. "Hm? Oh. . .yeah. Your Mom was just asking me where I go on my morning walks, and I told her sometimes, like today, I go out by Applegate Farm."  
  
"Oh. . .that's all it was." The look on her face said, 'nothing more interesting than that, huh?' Then she mused aloud, "I was just wondering. . ."  
  
"Yes?" both her parents prompted in unison.  
  
Jenny's energy kicked into high gear as she launched into her spiel. "Well, see, they're having this special competition out there tomorrow, the Loudoun County Hunter Jumper something-or-other, and I've seen a few of the people practicing. . .especially Katie Winston. . .she's really good. . .Kristin says she's workin' on going to the Olympic trials in a couple of years, and her horse—he's really cool." Her eyes took on a wistful look as she carried on. "His name's 'Starlight'. . .chestnut, with a white star on his chest. . .sure wish I could have a horse like that. . .some day. . ."  
  
"Whoa!" Lee shouted, placing a hand on her shoulder. "When is this horse show, anyway?"  
  
"Um, it's Saturday night. It starts at 5:00, so we wouldn't be out too late," She looked to both Lee and Amanda, lifting her eyebrows as she begged, "So. . .can we go?"  
  
Amanda smiled and replied, "Well, I don't see why not, Sweetie, as long as it's all right with your father."  
  
Lee nodded, "Sure, that's fine." He slipped his arm around her shoulder and gave her a squeeze. As he stood up and went over to the sink with his empty glass and mug, he heard Amanda saying, "Now, finish your breakfast, Jenny." He mouthed the words to the window as she finished, "It's the most important meal of the day."  
  
********  
  
Lee adjusted his cap and leaned over to the Explorer's open window, giving Amanda a kiss before they parted for the day. He waved goodbye to his wife and daughter as they pulled out of the driveway, then started on his daily walk. He had a 10:00 appointment for his radiation treatment, so he figured he'd have plenty of time to make the six-mile circuit before Kurt would arrive to take him to the hospital. He smiled as he looked over the vast expanses of green. Amanda had been right—it was a great day for a walk in the country. . .clear skies, sunshine, and the air was just cool enough to be invigorating.  
  
********  
  
'Where's George?' Kristin wondered. 'He was supposed to be here already, mucking out the stalls.' She looked down at her watch and realized he wasn't late, she was half an hour early. "Sorry, George!" She muttered to herself. She walked over toward Starlight's stall, greeting the horse with a gentle pat to his shoulder and a calm-voiced, "Hi, fella! How ya doin' this morning? She opened the gate to the stall and let herself in, staying close to Starlight and smoothing a hand over his coat as she entered, carrying a soft brush for his mane.  
  
No sooner had she closed the latch on the stall, than several lightning- quick flashes from a strobe light spooked the horse. His nostrils flared and he rared up on his back feet. Before Kristin could back away and lift the latch completely, two powerful hooves pounded into her, one striking her mouth, the other coming down on her shoulder. She lifted a hand to her bleeding mouth and fell backward, releasing the latch. As the gate flew open, Starlight's full weight landed a crushing blow to her ribcage, dropping her to the ground. Before she could struggle to her feet, the last of his hooves struck her jaw, and the frantic horse darted out of the stable toward the paddock.  
  
George jumped out of his pick-up truck. He'd seen the horse shoot out of the end of the stable as he'd pulled up. He ran over to the stable to grab Starlight's bit and bridle before heading out to recapture the frightened creature. He saw Kristin lying on the ground and asked if he could help her, but she'd waved him off, pointing out in the direction of the open pasture, so he left her there and went after the horse.  
  
With a herculean effort, Kristin managed to push herself up off the ground with her good arm. Her shoulder was already swelling and her mouth was bleeding profusely. Somehow, she made her way to the end of the stable, leaning her good shoulder against the doorframe.  
  
Lee was within a hundred yards of the stables when he'd seen the stable hand take out after a runaway horse. . .chestnut, with a white star on his chest, just like the one Jenny had described at breakfast. He had a bad feeling about this already, when he looked over toward the stable and saw Kristin leaning there, bruised and bleeding. He ran to her as quickly as he could, shouting, "Kristin! My God! What happened?" As he came closer to her, he realized she was in no condition to tell him anything. Her jaw looked oddly out of alignment, blood was trickling from her mouth, and she was obviously doing all she could to stand there.  
  
In spite of the pain, she tried to speak. "Missta Stesson. . .ss. ..sspook. . ." She closed her eyes, fighting the pain and trying to get the words out. "Flass. . .flash. . .dunno how. . ." she eeked out, before she fainted into Lee's arms. He laid her down gingerly and reached into his pocket for his cell phone. He dialed 9-1-1 and talked to the EMT dispatcher, then took off his jacket and folded it under Kristin's head.  
  
********  
  
Amanda was in the middle of an interview with a new recruit when her phone began to ring. She could see the number of Lee's cell phone on the small display, so she smiled and held up a hand to interrupt the overly eager young woman. "Excuse me. . .sorry, but I really need to take this call. . do you mind?" she asked, wordlessly asking for privacy.  
  
As soon as the door closed, Amanda answered the ringing phone.  
  
"Amanda! It's me."  
  
He sounded breathless and overwraught, and she frowned in concern as she asked, "Lee! What is it? What's happened?"  
  
"It's Kristin. . .at Applegate Farm. There's been an—" he stopped himself, the word 'accident' didn't seem right, somehow. "She's been hurt, badly. One of the horses spooked and kicked her several times. . .at least once in the mouth, and she's bleeding, and. . ."  
  
"Oh my gosh, Lee! Did someone call an ambulance?"  
  
"Yeah, yeah, I already took care of that. They're on their way now." Lee looked up to see the stable hand leading Starlight across the yard. His eyes lit up suddenly, and he snapped his fingers. "Amanda! What was the name of that girl Jenny talked about this morning?"  
  
"I'm pretty sure she said 'Katie Winston', but what does that—"  
  
"Didn't you or Kristin tell me that Applegate Farm boards horses for a few senators and ambassadors?"  
  
"Yeah. . ." she answered, drawing the word out so that it sounded more like a question.  
  
"Could one of their clients be Senator Charles Winston?" he asked, a growing level of urgency in his voice.  
  
"I suppose so," Amanda replied. She was beginning to catch his meaning. "So you don't think this was an accident."  
  
"I'm sure of it, Amanda," Lee stated with certainty, as he paced the area in front of the entrance. He tapped his hand against his leg nervously as he went on, "For one thing, it was Katie Winston's horse. . .'Starlight', that went berserk. . .and before she passed out, Kristin told me the horse was spooked somehow, and then she said something about a flash."  
  
Amanda's mouth dropped open as the realization hit her. "Someone else had to be there, waiting for her to go into the stall. But why, Lee? Why would someone want to hurt that nice young girl?"  
  
"That's a good question. Maybe she saw something, overheard something. . .I don't know," Lee replied, walking past the stable area to look up the road. "We're not gonna be able to find out until after Kristin comes to. . .and with her injuries, that may be a while. Look, Amanda. . .the ambulance is just coming up here. . .looks like a Loudon County Sheriff's department car, too. I'd better go talk to them. Can you call Kurt for me, tell him to pick me up here, instead of our house?"  
  
"Of course. . .sure, " she answered. "You be sure and call me after your treatment, and let me know where they're taking Kristin, okay?"  
  
********  
  
After securing Lee's promise that he'd check back with her later, she made the call to Kurt and stepped out of her office. She made arrangements to postpone the interview until the following week, then set about doing a quick internet search on Senator Charles Winston's committee assignments. It only took two or three clicks of the mouse to find what she was looking for. . .there it was, in red, white and blue.  
  
After hearing Lee's suspicions, she wasn't at all surprised to find that Senator Winston was a member of the Armed Services Committee, the committee whose responsibilities included, among other things, the development of weapons systems and military operations. She took the time to print out the pertinent pages before picking up the phone to call Alberta Kingston. She couldn't be sure this was Agency business, but it very well could be. She sincerely hoped the Senator was innocent, but she knew that innocence could be a fragile thing for high ranking officials in a time of war. "Hello, Alberta? Do you have a minute?" she asked, taking the pages from her printer and pushing away from her desk. She nodded at Alberta's affirmative reply. "Okay then, I'll be right there."  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	12. Discoveries

Stormy Weather II  
  
by matahari2  
  
Summary / Disclaimers, etc.: See Chapter 1  
  
Feedback: Yes! Please! Read and Review!  
  
Chapter Twelve – Discoveries  
  
"Blecch! Ugh!" Lee grimaced at the sickening sweet taste of the anti-emetic syrup, holding the bottle at arm's length as he reached up to stash it in the cabinet. Although it helped to hold down the nausea that always followed his treatments, the stuff nearly made him gag. And to top that off, he'd come home from the hospital feeling exceptionally tired, and he'd just decided to lie down for a short nap. He'd made it halfway up the stairs when the phone rang.  
  
He rushed back to the kitchen and caught it on the second ring. "Hello."  
  
"Hello, Lee? It's me. How're you doing?" Amanda asked, her slightly shaky voice signaling a mixture of concern and nervousness. "You sound awfully tired."  
  
"I'm uh. . .well, I've had better days, I guess," he admitted, rushing to add, "but I've had a lot worse ones. So, what's up, Amanda?"  
  
"I just wanted to know. . .have you heard any more about Kristin?"  
  
"Oh yeah. . .I was supposed to call you when I came home, right? Sorry," he apologized. "The only thing I know is, they were taking her to Piedmont Memorial. Last time I saw her, she was unconscious. Maybe we can check on her later, okay?"  
  
"Yeah. . .okay. I sure hope somebody lets her parents know. . .they live out west somewhere. . .Utah or Colorado, I think. . ." Amanda murmured, sounding slightly distracted, as though something or someone else had caught her attention. "Be right there!" her muffled voice shouted. "Sorry, Sweetheart," she whispered into the phone. "We're getting ready to go into a conference call in Alberta Kingston's office. Could you do me a favor?"  
  
"Sure. . .what is it?"  
  
"Could you go upstairs to the office and wait for Alberta's call? She'd like to have you in on this."  
  
********  
  
Lee related what he knew of the incident in the stable, and Amanda told everyone the information she'd pulled on Senator Winston's Armed Services committee work. Alberta asked what the committee had been reviewing lately.  
  
Francine volunteered, "Among other things, they've been looking at some very interesting technology coming out of DARPA. . .micro-UAV's. They're capable of. . ."  
  
"Excuse me, Francine," Amanda interrupted, "but what exactly is a micro- UAV?"  
  
"Sorry," Francine replied, "UAV stands for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle."  
  
At this point, she passed a series of photographs around the room, pictures of UAV's of varying sizes and configurations. Some looked similar to fixed wing aircraft, others like the more modern, radar-evading slim silhouette fighters.  
  
As her fellow agents looked over the photos, Francine went on, "You may have seen in the media that both the Army and Navy are developing unmanned replacements for conventional fighter aircraft. In fact, at some point, they may be able to phase out the need for manned fighter planes altogether. These micro-UAV's are very small, less than six inches in any dimension. Military personnel can carry them in a backpack, and they can be launched to fly at tree-top level and carry on reconnaissance or surveillance missions in urban areas or over rough terrain."  
  
"Ah. . .so these things, used strategically, could save the lives of many of the men in our forward units," Alberta put in. "But if the technology fell into the wrong hands. . ."  
  
"They could just as easily be used against us," Lee carried out the thought. "So what do we do now?"  
  
Alberta spoke up again, doling out assignments. "Francine, go over and pay Senator Winston a visit. See if anyone's been putting pressure on him, trying to get him to hand over information. Amanda. . .why don't you go and see Mrs. Winston. . .see if her husband's told her anything, or if she's seen any strangers hanging around their home. Jensen. . .let's take a look at the security around the research facility that's developing these micro- UAV's. . ."  
  
********  
  
Senator Winston repeated his denial. "Ms. Desmond, I'm sorry. . .I have no idea what you're talking about." His fretful eyes told her otherwise—he looked worried. . .haunted. "Now, if you'll excuse me. . ."  
  
She rose and reached across the desk to shake his hand politely, while searching his eyes once more. "Thank you for your time, Senator. Now, here's my card. If anyone does try to pressure you for information or threaten you in any way, please call me."  
  
He came around from behind his desk to escort her out of the office. "I'm sorry if I seem a bit harried today. . .there was an accident with my daughter's horse this morning, and Katie's coach was injured. I guess I just have fireflies in my stomach. . .you know, worrying about how she's doing."  
  
As she stood outside the Senator's office, Francine replayed his excuse in her mind. She knew about the accident, and it was entirely possible Senator Winston would be concerned for Kristin's well being for humanitarian reasons as well as fear of his possible liability in the matter. But why would he talk about 'fireflies in his stomach'? She frowned in confusion at his odd choice of words. . .was he trying to tell her something? Oh well, she'd just go back to the Agency and report in to Alberta. . .maybe she'd be able to decipher the hidden meaning.  
  
********  
  
Amanda rang the doorbell and stood between the fluted columns at the front of the Winstons' stately home. After about twenty seconds, the uniformed maid came to the door. Amanda flashed her ID badge and asked to see Mrs. Winston.  
  
The maid ushered her into the two-story foyer, whispering, "One moment, please."  
  
A few minutes later, Mrs. Winston slid back the pocket-door leading from a large room that looked to Amanda as though it might be the library. She crossed the polished Italian marble floor and held out her hand in greeting. "Hello, Mrs. Stetson." She focused intently on Amanda's face. "Haven't we met before?"  
  
Amanda had to admit the small, blond woman did look familiar to her. "I believe we might have, actually. You see, our daughter Jenny takes riding lessons out at. . ."  
  
"Applegate Farm. . .of course!" Mrs. Winston interjected. "I suppose we've run into each other there at the stables a few times, between the girls' lessons."  
  
"Yes. . .I suppose so," Amanda acknowledged with a friendly smile. She hesitated, darting her eyes to either side of the foyer before forcing herself to address her real reason for being there. Her smile faded as she went on to say, "Mrs. Winston, is there someplace we can talk?"  
  
Mrs. Winston nodded and led her to one of the large sofas that flanked the fireplace. "All right, Mrs. Stetson, what can I do for you?"  
  
Looking into Mrs. Winston's eyes, Amanda stated, "You know about the. . .incident at the stables this morning. . .with Katie's horse, Starlight and. . ."  
  
"And Kristin! Oh my goodness, yes!" Mrs. Winston interrupted nervously. She lifted a trembling hand to smooth her perfectly-coifed hair. "If there's anything we can do for that poor girl. . ."  
  
Amanda spread out her hands as she continued, "Mrs. Winston, I'm sure you're very upset about this, but I want you to know. . .I'm not here to assign any blame for what happened this morning. We have reason to believe this may have to do with something other than horses." At Mrs. Winston's troubled, questioning look, she went on to explain. "Your husband is a very powerful man, and it's possible someone could be putting pressure on him. . .threatening him or your family, to. . ." She hated this part—she didn't want to make it sound like an accusation, but she had to make the senator's wife understand the gravity of the situation. "well. . .to get him to share information."  
  
She watched as Mrs. Winston's expression morphed from one of confusion, to understanding, to hollow-eyed horror. The woman was speechless. She looked away for a moment, absently rubbing her fingers over the front of the sofa cushion, before responding in hushed tones, "I. . .I honestly don't know what they've said to my husband, or what they may have asked him to do. But there were two men who came to see him earlier in the week, Wednesday, I think it was. Charles didn't introduce me to them. He met with them in the library for about an hour. I couldn't hear what they were saying until they came out into the foyer before they left."  
  
"So, you don't know who these men are?" Amanda prompted. She'd pulled a small pad and a pen from her purse as she'd listened, and had begun to take notes.  
  
Mrs. Winston shook her head, momentarily examining the carved detail of the mantel before looking back to Amanda. "No. . .I don't know their names, but I can describe them for you. One of them had a dark, 'olive' complexion and a very thick Middle-Eastern accent. I'd guess he's about five-foot-ten. The other man was Asian, possibly Chinese, although I can't say for sure. He spoke impeccable English, with a trace of a British accent."  
  
Amanda looked up from her notes and asked, "And you haven't seen these men, except for the night they came to visit your husband?"  
  
"No. . .wait. . ." she hesitated, touching her index finger to her chin. "I'm almost sure I saw one of them. . .the Asian man. . .more than once, when I was out shopping yesterday."  
  
"More than once?" Amanda asked, keeping her voice as calm as possible in spite of her rising concern.  
  
"Y-Yes," Mrs. Winston said shakily. "You see, I did more window shopping than buying yesterday, and it seemed as though each time I'd look into one of the windows and there was the least bit of glare, I'd see that man's reflection." She shuddered involuntarily at the realization that she'd been followed. She looked to Amanda with questioning eyes.  
  
Amanda nodded and closed her eyes for a second, confirming the woman's justified fear. She folded up her notepad and stuffed it into her purse, crossing the room to sit beside Mrs. Winston and place a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Mrs. Winston, we'll do everything we can to protect your family. One of our Agents is visiting with your husband right now. Hopefully we can convince him to cooperate with us, and we can keep you all safe."  
  
"I hope so, Mrs. Stetson. . .I really do hope so," Mrs. Winston uttered despondently, her unfocused gaze sinking to the floor.  
  
After patting her hand gently, Amanda said quietly, "Before I leave, I'm going to make a call and get you some protection. . .now, don't worry. No one will know they're here. . .you won't even know they're here." She gave Mrs. Winston a comforting smile and gestured with her index finger as she headed out to the foyer, pointing in the direction of the phone on the hall table as she went to place her call.  
  
********  
  
Francine and Amanda arrived back at the Agency at about the same time, and Alberta Kingston asked them both to come to her office and report on what they'd discovered. Francine shared her disappointing news, that the Senator either hadn't been contacted by anyone, or he wasn't about to share that information with the Agency. She also related her sense that in spite of his denials, he was certainly nervous or worried about something.  
  
With a puzzled look on her face, Francine started to tell them, "And before I left, he said the strangest thing. . ." She stopped herself. Did it matter, the seemingly silly phrase the senator had used? Oh well, she supposed, you never knew. "It was just such an odd thing to say. He told me that if he seemed nervous, it was probably because he had 'fireflies in his stomach' over the accident. . .the uh. . .incident. . .with the horse this morning."  
  
"That is odd," Alberta interjected. "Don't people usually say they have 'butterflies' in their stomachs when they're nervous?"  
  
"Yeah. . ." Amanda drawled. Francine could see her wheels turning, as she focused on the desktop. Suddenly, she looked up to Alberta, then turned to Francine. "Fireflies? You know those pictures you showed us earlier? The micro-UAV's? Well, one of them was called the alphabet-soup-something Firefly."  
  
Alberta thumbed through the photos until she found it. "Here we are. . .the AQC-3095 Firefly, currently under review by the Senate Armed Services Committee. So. . .it looks like the Senator gave us something to work with after all. All right, Amanda, how'd it go with Mrs. Winston?"  
  
Amanda gave the descriptions of the two men who'd visited the Senator's home, and told Alberta that it was very likely Mrs. Winston was being followed and their entire family could be at risk. As she finished her report, she added, "I hope Mrs. Winston can convince the Senator to work with us. I'm almost sure they didn't go looking for this trouble."  
  
"I sincerely hope you're right, Amanda, and we'll do what we can to protect their family," Alberta assured her. "All right, you two. Why don't we break for the night, and we'll touch base by phone in the morning. I'll be here at this number, so both of you, call me here at 9:00 a.m. Now, get out of here!"  
  
As they left the director's office, Amanda turned to Francine and said, "Boy! Is she ever a refreshing change from Dr. Smyth!"  
  
"Yeah," Francine agreed. "She takes care of business, takes time to care about her people, and I haven't heard a single nursery rhyme!" As they rounded another corner, she asked, "So. . .time to go home to the country?"  
  
"Mm. Yeah, I have to go pick Jenny up from her friend's house and then go home to fix dinner. We'll probably run over to Piedmont Memorial to see Kristin, too, if they'll let her have visitors."  
  
Francine shook her head. "It's really a shame. . .being hurt like that, just trying to do her job."  
  
"Right," Amanda nodded sadly. "The really bad thing is, she's practically given her life to taking care of horses, and to have one of them kick her in the face. . .that had to make the pain even worse!"  
  
"Mm," Francine commiserated. "Look, I'm parked in the Wisconsin Avenue garage, so I guess this is where we part company for tonight. Tell Lee and Jenny 'hello' for me. . .I'll talk with you in the morning. 'Night, Amanda!"  
  
"G'night, Francine."  
  
********  
  
"Helluw, Mssta Stesson, Mss-ss Stesson," Kristin mumbled. It was the best she could do with her jaw wired shut as it was.  
  
"Hi, Kristin!" Amanda said with a warm smile, reaching over the bed rail to stroke her hand. "Did your folks get in yet?"  
  
"Mm-hm. Ah kicked'm out, made 'em go eat sumfin!"  
  
Her brown eyes sparkled with good humor in spite of her discomfort, and Lee wondered at her resilience. He had to smile himself, as he said, "How're you doing? You look a little better than when I saw you this morning."  
  
"Better livin' wif chemssry!" she grinned in response, eyeing the morphine drip that fed pain relief to her badly injured body. "Ah'll be all raht," she attempted to say, as the light in her eyes began to dim.  
  
Lee could see her exhaustion beginning to reveal itself. He could identify with her there, and he hated the idea of asking more of her, but he knew he had to. "Kristin, were you able to tell the Sheriff's deputy about what happened this morning?"  
  
"Mm-hm. . .tol' 'em Ah saw flass. . ." She paused, pressing her lips together and making an extra effort to get the words out. "Flashes. . .Stahlaht ss. . .mm! ss. . .spooked. . ."  
  
"Yes, and Starlight rared up, kicked you, and ran off. . .I saw him run out to the paddock," Lee recalled with her. "Did you see anything beforehand?"  
  
"Hm-mm," she answered with a slight shake of her head. She cast a glance out the hospital window, her eyes searching for a memory. Appearing to have remembered something important, she looked up, touching Amanda's hand to get her attention. She made motions of writing with an imaginary pen on the flat surface of her palm.  
  
Instinctively, Amanda extracted the pad and pen from her purse and handed them to Kristin. Lee and Amanda read as the girl's crabbed, left-handed writing told them about the conversation she'd overheard between Senator Winston and the man with the thick, unidentifiable accent.  
  
Amanda read along, her alarm growing with each word. "Plans. . .5:00 p.m. Saturday at the stables. . .can't guarantee his daughter's safety!" She touched a hand to Lee's shoulder and turned to look into his eyes. "Lee! We've got to do something!"  
  
"Yeah. . .I'd better call this in to Alberta, and. . ." His eyes darted to Kristin's questioning gaze, then turned back to Amanda. "You'll need to um, you know. . ." At her understanding nod, he slid his hand down her arm, giving her hand a gentle squeeze as he hurried out to the hallway to make his phone call.  
  
"Kristin. . .I know you're prob'ly confused right now. You see, Lee. . .Mr. Stetson and I, well. . .we're federal agents, " Amanda explained. She showed the girl her identification badge as she went on, "We believe someone may have been trying to coerce Senator Winston into passing top secret information to someone outside the government, and you've just confirmed it. I'm so sorry you had to be involved in this." Her eyes were full of compassion for the innocent girl, as she scanned her bruised face and heavily bandaged arm.  
  
Kristin shrugged slightly, mumbling, "mussta ss. . .seen me, hm?"  
  
"I guess so," Amanda agreed ruefully. After explaining the need for secrecy, she whispered, "Now you try and get some rest, all right? We'll do our best to make sure you're safe." Kristin nodded slightly, blinking her eyes. Amanda patted her hand reassuringly before leaving to join Lee in the hallway.  
  
He locked eyes with her as she approached. "Okay, there'll be two agents on Kristin's door within about fifteen minutes. Now, I've alerted Alberta about the 5:00 deadline and the location, and she's already put some of our people on dummying an alternate set of plans for the Firefly." She seemed to be taking in what he'd said, but she looked troubled, and her eyes had drifted downward as she rubbed her trembling hands together. He took hold of her hands and asked softly, "What is it?"  
  
She lifted her eyes to meet his sympathetic gaze. "Lee. . .it's just. . .well. . .I really hate this, you know. . .when innocent people get hurt, through no fault of their own."  
  
"I know, I know," he whispered, as he drew her into a loving embrace. He stroked her back gently for a moment, finally pulling back slightly to look into her glistening eyes. "I hate it, too, Amanda. Why do you think I pushed you away so much in the beginning? I couldn't stand the thought of you being hurt. . .or worse," he admitted, as much to himself as to his wife. He forced himself to face their present situation as he went on, "Now, in this case, we'll just have to do everything we can to protect Kristin and the Winstons, all right?"  
  
"Yeah. . ." she murmured, resting her head on his chest. "It's all we can do."  
  
********  
  
Lee and Amanda waited until the agency guards came on duty, then headed for home. As exhausted as he was already, Lee knew sleep would be hard to come by tonight. They'd taken Jenny to stay with Dotty and Kurt, and it was almost a certainty that they'd spend the night on the phone with the Agency, crafting their plans for Saturday. He'd been relieved to hear Alberta say that Senator Winston had finally agreed to cooperate. His involvement from here on in would have to be handled with extreme care, to keep their enemies, whoever they were, from discovering their carefully conceived scheme.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	13. The Hand-Off

Stormy Weather II  
  
by matahari2  
  
Summary / Disclaimers, etc.: See Chapter 1  
  
Feedback: Yes! Please! Read and Review!  
  
  
  
Chapter Thirteen – The Hand-Off  
  
Saturday Morning – Senator Winston's Office  
  
Caroline Jefferson slipped her arms into her jacket and tipped the Senator's door open. "Will there be anything else, sir?"  
  
Senator Winston looked up and removed his reading glasses as he replied, "Hm? Oh. . .no, Caroline, we're done for today, thanks." He laid the glasses on the desk and smiled as he went on, "I'm sure you have better things to do on a Saturday—you just go on and enjoy the rest of your weekend. I'll be leaving soon, too. I'm just gonna go over this speech for a while longer."  
  
"Okay then. . .see you later, Senator," Caroline said, pulling the door closed and picking up her shoulder bag as she headed out to the hallway. She passed by a member of the cleaning crew without so much as a sideways glance.  
  
The tall man with the navy blue baseball cap ran the buffer over the freshly waxed floor and waited as Caroline disappeared around the corner and the sound of her footsteps faded. He turned off the machine and made his way to the Senator's office, tapping lightly on the inside door.  
  
At the sound, the senator closed the file he'd been reading and stood up from his desk. "Come in!"  
  
"Good morning, Senator Winston. . .I'm Lee Stetson." Lee flashed his Agency ID badge and reached out to shake the man's offered hand.  
  
With a strained smile, Charles Winston nodded, saying, "Mr. Stetson." A slightly confused expression passed over his face. "Was that your wife who came to our house yesterday? Both of you are agents?"  
  
"Yes, sir," Lee answered simply, his thoughts drawn to the irony of the situation. The man knew Amanda was an agent, but was he an agent too? He smiled and rolled his eyes slightly. "It's a long story."  
  
Senator Winston gestured with his hand toward one of the chairs that faced his desk. "Please, Mr. Stetson, have a seat."  
  
"No, thank you, sir. . .I really can't stay in here for very long. . .I have to, um. . ." Lee said, pointing back to the hallway with his thumb.  
  
The Senator nodded silently, in apparent understanding of Lee's need to maintain his cover. Lee nodded in return, and altered his facial expression to indicate that it was time to get down to business. He slipped his hand into the pocket of his windbreaker and pulled out a square plastic jewel case. "All right, Senator. . .this CD contains the modified Firefly plans," he stated, placing the case in the center of the desk. "The originals are in a safe place, correct?"  
  
"Right," the senator replied, picking up the case and flipping it over to scan the notes on the inserted sleeve. "I handed them off to a DoD courier at 7:30 this morning. They're locked away in a vault at the Pentagon. You're sure this will fool them?"  
  
Lee gave him a reassuring smile, saying, "Senator, the case and the CD are marked exactly the same as the originals, and the plans are identical, with a few highly technical exceptions, which your contact is not likely to notice. You just meet him at 5:00 at the stables, as planned, and we'll take it from there."  
  
"All right," the senator agreed.  
  
"Um. . .Senator Winston? Could you do me a favor?"  
  
"Certainly. What is it?"  
  
"Would you mind to step into your little lavatory there and flush the toilet?" Lee asked with an embarrassed grin.  
  
"What? Oh. . ." Senator Winston replied, understanding dawning. "You need a reason to. . ."  
  
"Yeah. . ." Lee said quietly. A few seconds after the plumbing fixture started to do its job, he backed out to the hallway, tipping his hand to the senator as he said, loud and clear, "Uh. . .thank you sir! Sorry to bother you!" Immediately, he resumed his work with the floor buffer, slowly meandering his way down the corridor.  
  
********  
  
Late Saturday Afternoon - Applegate Farm  
  
Jenny's eyes sparkled with excitement. She held up the program and underlined the name with her finger as she said, "Mom! Look! Here's Katie's name, and here's of a picture of her, riding Starlight, and. . ."  
  
Amanda suddenly felt an insistent tug on her sleeve. "What? Oh. . .that's great, Sweetie," she said, somewhat distractedly. Sensing her daughter's mood shift at her less than enthusiastic response, she focused her attention on the program as she wrapped her arm around Jenny's shoulders. "So when will Katie get her turn?"  
  
Jenny reviewed the program again. "Looks like she'll be the fourth rider. . .maybe twenty minutes into the show." Her eyes shone as she cast a sweeping gaze over the floor of the arena, with all the fences and hazards in place for the competition. She smiled up to Amanda and said, "Mom? Thanks for bringing me tonight. This is so cool!"  
  
Amanda smiled in reply, sliding a gentle hand across Jenny's back, just as the loudspeaker came to life and the audience rose to their feet upon hearing the first notes of the national anthem. The lights were dimmed, and a single spotlight highlighted the stars and stripes, and except for the recorded music, a respectful hush descended on the arena.  
  
As soon as the anthem finished and the house lights were brought up, Jenny perched on the edge of her seat, listening to the sound of the announcer's voice: "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. We welcome you to the 2002 Loudoun County Hunter Jumper Classic. . ."  
  
********  
  
Amanda couldn't overcome her uneasiness about this evening. She'd debated within herself about bringing her daughter to a potential crime scene, but they'd promised Jenny she could come tonight, and she consoled herself that if anything happened, it wouldn't be here in the midst of so many witnesses. Nevertheless, her eyes scanned the stands for anything out of the ordinary. She spotted two familiar faces and made fleeting eye contact with each of them. Mrs. Winston was sitting directly across the arena, and Francine sat two rows behind her.  
  
As she watched the first rider making the final turn, Amanda felt someone bump into her knee. She looked up to see an Asian man dressed in a dark suit and wearing rimless glasses. The man apologized to her and explained that he was simply trying to get to the next empty seat in the row, three seats past her daughter. He had said only a few words, but she detected a slight British accent. As the man went to his seat, Amanda caught Mrs. Winston's eye once again and saw the quickly-concealed look of fear cross her face.  
  
********  
  
Inside the large van marked "Huntington Farms", Lee watched the time-coded monitors, waiting for Senator Winston and his contact to appear. In the pre- dawn hours of the morning, agents had placed hidden cameras and listening devices in the stable where the hand-off was to take place.  
  
Lee checked his watch again. . .5:02 p.m. "All right, where are they?" he asked the technician, his nervousness apparent as he lifted his cap and skimmed a hand over his head before replacing the cap again. He drummed his fingers against his leg impatiently, muttering, "Come on, come on!" under his breath.  
  
Another minute passed before the technician at the console looked back to him and stated, "Okay, Mr. Stetson. . .looks like we have a meet."  
  
Senator Winston was the first to enter the stable. He'd turned around, apparently to the sound of the other man's voice. "Look, Mr.Khalil, I was here right on time. . .where were you?"  
  
"Please call me Aziz, Senator," the dark-haired man said with a too- familiar smile. "And did your father not teach you that patience is a virtue? Now then, I believe we agreed. . ."  
  
The senator raised an eyebrow and nearly spat the words out. "I'd hardly call it an agreement, 'Aziz'!"  
  
Inside the van, Lee's jaws tightened. He hoped the man wasn't going to blow their chances and endanger his daughter's life by shooting off his mouth at this stage of the game.  
  
"Well then, let us call it an 'understanding'. In either case, I believe you have something for me," Aziz bin Ali Khalil stated clearly, fisting one hand at his waist and holding out the other to accept the expected offering, his air of artificial friendliness disappearing with the gesture.  
  
"Yes, I have it right here. . .the. . .uh. . .plans for the Firefly." Senator Winston pulled the CD from his inside pocket but didn't extend his hand. Instead, he read and re-read the label, tracing the edge of the case with his finger as he asked, "What guarantee do I have that you won't harm my wife and daughter?"  
  
The man bared his teeth in the oily semblance of a smile and said, "You have my word, Senator." His smile vanished, replaced by an evil-eyed scowl. "However, if you do not comply and hold your tongue about the matter. . .there are no guarantees whatsoever."  
  
At the senator's resigned sigh, Aziz snatched the CD from his hand. Winston's head snapped up, and he asked, "What do I do now?"  
  
Aziz slipped the plastic case with the CD into his jacket pocket. His fake smile materialized once more, and he walked closer to the senator and placed a hand at his back, guiding him toward the stable entrance. "You will simply go back and join your wife in the arena, to enjoy the rest of the evening."  
  
"Enjoy?" the senator asked doubtfully.  
  
"Certainly," Aziz said plainly. "No one must have the slightest suspicion about our encounter. Now. . .let us go out of the stable and shake hands, in your American gesture of friendship, yes?"  
  
Since the man had made his untenable position perfectly clear, the senator played along without further argument, and worked his way back into the arena stands just as the third rider was finishing the course. He smiled and nodded slightly when he came to join his wife, successfully hiding his nervousness, with the exception of the trembling hand he hid in his pants pocket.  
  
********  
  
About thirty seconds after he'd seen the two men shake hands, Lee slipped out of the back of the van, keeping an eye on Aziz Khalil's movements. He made his way to one of the upper rows at the near end of the arena. His eyes scanned the seating area, and a smile began to form on his lips when he spotted Amanda, five rows up from the rail, with Jenny sitting just to her left. His daughter's rapt attention was fixed on the current rider, 'Katie Winston', he knew. He hadn't met the girl, but he'd recognize Starlight anywhere. He watched her execute three successful jumps in a row, then turned his attention back to his daughter. When he'd looked back up into the stands, he noticed someone leaning forward, just a few seats over from Jenny. . .an Asian man in a dark suit and tie, holding a cell phone up to his ear. The man stared directly across the arena, his face showing sudden recognition and a flash of anger as he began to speak. Lee couldn't read his lips perfectly, but he was able to make out the words "Aziz" and "agent". So this was Khalil's partner. . .and he'd recognized someone as an agent. . .someone across the arena.  
  
Lee picked up his cell phone and dialed Francine's number. When she started to answer, he said, "Smile, act casual. . ."  
  
She schooled her features and smiled pleasantly, listening and carefully avoiding direct eye contact with anyone.  
  
"Look, Francine, I hate to tell you this, but it looks like you've been made," Lee whispered. "The east-Asian guy sitting about four seats over from Amanda. Don't look!"  
  
Francine maintained a jovial façade as she gushed, "Why of course not, darlin'." Her eyes twinkled as she went on, keeping her voice low. "I saw him coming in before the first rider started. Name's Wu Zhen Mao. . .we crossed paths in Malaysia about five years ago. You know, of course, he graduated summa cum laude from one of those A-Q training academies out there."  
  
"A-Q? As in, Al Qaeda?" Lee asked.  
  
"Mm-hm, that's right. Look, Sweetie, why don't I just see if I can spark our friend's interest," she said, turning off her cell phone and loudly begging everyone's pardon so she could make her way toward the exit.  
  
"No, Francine!" he started to say, too late.  
  
********  
  
As Francine came to the lighted Exit sign, Aziz Khalil was there to meet her. He gripped her arm and pushed her along the outside of the building and past the Agency's van. Before they'd reached his car, Francine stomped the man's instep with her high heel and whipped her elbow around into his neck, using the element of surprise to disarm the hapless Arab a full five seconds before six of her fellow-agents jumped from the van and took him into custody. She blew a puff of air upward and reached up to smooth her slightly disheveled hair as she walked back toward the arena entrance.  
  
********  
  
Amanda had observed Francine's animated phone conversation with interest, and watched as she crossed the row and walked down to the exit. 'What's happening?' she wondered, biting her lip as her eyes searched the stands once more. She finally found Lee, way down at the end of the arena. Their eyes connected for a brief instant, and he shook his head slightly and looked away. 'Oh, no! This can't be good,' she knew. What would those men do if they thought the Winstons had talked to the government? They'd warned about not guaranteeing Katie's safety.  
  
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the east-Asian man pull something out of his pocket that looked almost like the keyless remote for her car. Suddenly, she remembered a long-ago case where someone had used a similar device, attempting to blow up Lee's Corvette. She fought to maintain her composure at the memory. 'Oh my gosh! Remote-controlled explosives?'  
  
Katie Winston was on the approach for her final jump, so Amanda didn't waste any time. She stood up and took Jenny's hand, urging her along to their left and saying with an apologetic smile, "Excuse me. . .pardon me. . .I'm so sorry," to each person they passed. With her shoulder bag, she managed to knock the remote-control keypad loose from of the man's hand and catch it in mid-air, deftly palming it and keeping it out of sight. She didn't stop moving until she and Jenny were past the end of the row and heading out toward the exit.  
  
"Mom! Why'd you do that?" Jenny asked in a hoarse whisper as they arrived outside the arena.  
  
Amanda gave her hand a gentle squeeze and replied with an enigmatic smile, "Maybe some day I can tell you, Sweetheart."  
  
"Yeah. . .'need to know,' right?" Jenny countered with a sardonic grin.  
  
As they worked their way around the outside of the building, Amanda stroked Jenny's back lightly and said, "Now. . .let's go find your father."  
  
  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	14. Loose Ends in the Wind

Stormy Weather II  
  
by matahari2  
  
Summary / Disclaimers, etc.: See Chapter 1  
  
Feedback: Yes! Please! Read and Review!  
  
Chapter Fourteen – Loose Ends in the Wind  
  
Applegate Farm Stables  
  
Lee's eyes widened at Amanda's sudden moves. What was she thinking? He took in a sharp breath and held it until he could see that she and Jenny had made it safely past the angry Asian, Wu Zhen Mao. 'Good. They're getting out of here,' he thought, with a heavy sigh. He wondered what had happened when he looked back across their row to see Wu ducking down to hunt for some missing object. While the man was still distracted, Lee crept down the steps and headed out of the nearest exit, nearly running into Francine, coming in the opposite direction.  
  
"Call your shots, Scarecrow!" she shouted, stumbling backwards.  
  
Lee took hold of her arms to keep her from falling. He looked into her eyes with genuine concern, saying, "Sorry, Francine. . .are you all right? I mean, you look all right, but. . ."  
  
She cut him off with a wave of dismissal. "I'm fine, Lee—it was just a near miss. You know what they say. . .Close only counts. . ."  
  
"in horseshoes. . .right," Lee finished, with a wry grin. He cast a searching glance around the outside of the stable complex, then focused on Francine's face as he asked, "So. . .what happened with our Arab friend?"  
  
"Aziz? We've got him in the van there. Somehow, he's not very talkative." She rolled her eyes as she went on, "Big surprise." She rubbed her hands together and avoided his eyes for a moment. "Um. . .Lee?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"There's a slight problem," she confessed, looking up to him and spreading her hands in front of her. "See, when we took him down, he didn't have the disk on him."  
  
"What do you mean, he didn't have it? We saw him take it! Where else could it be?" Lee yelled, his eyes flashing with anger as he stalked toward the Agency van. He stopped in his tracks and thrust up his hands in frustration. "I watched the man, Francine! He didn't make contact with Wu or anybody else. . .not in there!" he shouted, pointing toward the arena with his thumb. "So what'd he do with the damn thing?!?"  
  
She shook her head and looked out into the sunset-painted landscape for a moment, saying, "I honestly don't know, Lee."  
  
"Hey. . ." he said quietly, "I'm sorry—it's not your fault. . .we'll just have to find it." He gave her an encouraging smile as he continued, "Look. . .why don't we start by retracing your steps from the time you left the arena?"  
  
Francine told him how Aziz had grabbed her as she came outside and had pushed her along. . ."until we got to right about here. . ." she said, as she came to stand beside a black, late-model Mercedes. "At which point I took him by surprise and disarmed him."  
  
Lee looked impressed, tipping his head to her in congratulation, as he reached into his inside pocket and pulled out a pen-light. He clicked it on and started to search what he could see of the interior of the car. He focused the light on a portion of a square-edged plastic object. "There. . .you see it? Wedged between the driver's seat and the console?"  
  
Francine bent down to peer into the car, cupping her hands above her eyes to avoid the glare from the window. "Sure, it's a CD, but it could be anyth- - . . .no. . .no, you're right. . .there it is, 'AQC-3095 Firefly' . . .big as life!"  
  
"And twice as natural," Lee added with a crooked grin. The thought 'Why are we talking like this?' popped into his brain. 'Where'd these folksy sayings come from? Must be the country air,' he guessed, shaking his head slightly and leaving Francine to wonder why he seemed so amused. He flicked off the light and slipped it back into his pocket, then turned to lean his arm against the car's roof. He narrowed his eyes slightly as he went on, "We still have a problem, though. For one thing, we don't know for a fact whose car this is, and besides that, we still have a suspect in there, and we don't know what he's up to."  
  
Francine's expression was grim as she said the name, "Wu Zhen Mao." She locked eyes with Lee as she shouted anxiously, "Amanda! Amanda and Jenny! Lee, I only spared the man a parting glance, but he was really angry when he saw me. Who knows what he'll do? We've got to get them out of there!"  
  
"Relax, Francine," Lee said, moving his hands in a palms-down, calming gesture. "They made it out already. I'm still not sure exactly what she did or how she did it, but Amanda hustled Jenny out not long after you left." He stuffed a hand in his pocket and looked away for a second, then turned back to her, adding, "You know, it's funny. . .the last I saw of him, Wu had gone down on his hands and knees, looking for something. . .I don't know what. . ."  
  
"I'm pretty sure I know, " Amanda said, smiling as she came past the end of the Agency van, holdling a small, rectangular object between her thumb and index finger. "I'd be real careful with this, if I were you."  
  
Lee whirled around in surprise. "Amanda! Whoa!" he shouted, holding a hand to his chest. "Wait a minute. Where's Jenny? And what's that you've got there?"  
  
"Sorry, Sw--. . .Lee," Amanda said with a sheepish grin, casting an eye in Francine's direction before looking back to her husband. "I didn't mean to surprise you like that. Jenny's fine. . .she's in the Explorer with the doors locked, and she's staying out of sight. Now. . .this little thing." She held it by the edges with one hand and pointed to it with the other as she went on, "I'm not absolutely sure, but I believe you'll find a relay switch for a detonator of some kind in here."  
  
"A detonator?" Lee questioned, the shock registering on his face as he carefully took the device from her hand.  
  
"Right. Remember what Kristin wrote on that little pad in the hospital? The dark-haired man said that unless Senator Winston did as he was told, they couldn't guarantee Katie's safety. And Katie was out there in the ring, Lee. She was making the turn before her last jump when I saw him. . .the Asian man who'd followed Mrs. Kingston. . .anyway, I saw him lean forward and pull this thing out. I knew I had to get Jenny out of there, and I had to stop him from hurting Katie, so. . ."  
  
"So that's what you were doing!" Lee interrupted, with a slight shake of his head, a proud smile spreading over his face. "I could see you were hurrying to get Jenny out of there, but I didn't see your sleight-of-hand trick. Good work! Pretty smooth there!" he offered, taking hold of her hand and fixing his gaze on her, as she waved off his compliments with a shy smile.  
  
Francine cleared her throat rather loudly, saying, "Ahem, pardon me, but we were saying. . ."  
  
Lee and Amanda broke apart with embarrassed smiles. "Sorry," Lee said quickly. "Right. See, Amanda, we'd just found the CD with the fake Firefly plans that Aziz Khalil put in this car, but we don't know where Wu. . .the Asian. . .is right now, so we're going to have to be on the lookout for him, and have someone watch this car, too."  
  
After he'd taken down the Mercedes' license plate number and the three of them went back to the Agency van, Lee started issuing orders. "Robertson, take this remote and secure it, then call the bomb squad. As soon as we get all the civilians out of the arena, those guys are gonna have a lot of work to do in there." He paused to hand the agent a small slip of paper. "Oh. . .and run this license-plate number through the Virginia DMV. Duffy, cover the black Mercedes, three cars down in the lot here, in case Wu gets past us and makes a move to recover the disk. Francine, take another crack at Aziz. See if you can be a little more persuasive this time," he added with a quick wink. "Jensen—you and I'll circle around to the opposite side of the arena—Wu will probably come out one of those exits. Okay, people, let's go!"  
  
He checked his clip and snapped it back into place, then climbed down from the van and offered Amanda his hand. Once she stepped to the ground, Lee whispered, "Look, Amanda. . .we're almost finished here. . .why don't you go ahead and take Jenny home?"  
  
Once again, her emotions fought within her. . .she knew she had to move Jenny out of harm's way, but she couldn't help worrying about her bone- weary husband either. Then again, he was giving her that penetrating stare. . .the look that said, 'I don't want to argue with you about this. . .please.' She examined his tired face once more and took hold of his hand loosely. "All right, Sweetheart," she whispered. "But Lee. . .promise me you'll be careful."  
  
He took hold of her free hand, looking deeply into her eyes as he answered with a tender smile, "Oh. . .always," and leaned in for a soft kiss before turning away and hurrying off to the other side of the arena.  
  
Amanda held a hand up to her brow, squinting against the sunset's glare and watching until Lee had disappeared around the corner of the building. As she turned to go back to the Explorer, she offered up a silent prayer. 'Please, God, keep him safe!'  
  
********  
  
Katie Winston had made a decent showing in her first outing, and rode Starlight out of the arena to the sounds of polite applause. Senator Winston smiled to his wife and they shared a sigh of relief. He whispered, "Good! I hope this means everything's all right."  
  
"Me too," Mrs. Winston agreed, but her voice wavered slightly. The chilling look from the Asian man in the dark suit had frightened her, and that fear hadn't subsided. Suddenly, she gripped her husband's arm. "Charles! He's gone! What if. . ."  
  
"Anne! It'll be all right. Katie's with her friends and the stable hands here. None of them would let anything happen to her," Charles said soothingly, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. At her still-wary countenance, he offered, "Look. . .if it'll make you feel better, we'll go on over to the stables, all right?"  
  
She nodded silently, accepting his offered hand as they left the arena to reassure themselves about their daughter's whereabouts.  
  
********  
  
Wu Zhen Mao frowned in disgust. He'd tried the cell number for Aziz Khalil twice since his partner had left the arena, to no avail. Then that clumsy woman had caused him to lose the remote control device, at the most inappropriate time. He'd already spotted the blonde American agent. Were there more of them? How would he get past them? His eyes scanned the general area where he was seated, and he noticed a dark-haired man with a build similar to his own, wearing a light blue windbreaker and a baseball cap. There was an empty seat beside the man, so Wu seized the opportunity and asked the man to meet him at the back of the stands.  
  
********  
  
Lee and Sam Jensen crouched beside one of several horse trailers that lined the area across from the arena exit where they'd expected to find their quarry. Only a few people had come out of the arena in the last twenty minutes, most of them parents with small children, none of them matching Wu's description. Lee checked his watch again. "Come on!" he shouted under his breath. He looked over at Jensen and shook his head. "If he doesn't come out soon. . ." he trailed off. Lee didn't want to think about that possibility—he didn't want the man using innocent civilians as a shield, and he certainly didn't want to let him get away.  
  
"Heads up, Scarecrow," Sam whispered. "This guy's about the right height and build, dark hair, glasses. . .nah. . .never mind. . .he's wearing a light blue windbreaker and a baseball cap. . .prob'ly not our guy."  
  
Lee had heard Jensen's comments, but something about the man bothered him, didn't fit somehow. "Jensen? When's the last time you saw a guy wearing a baseball cap and wing-tip shoes?" He tipped his head, silently ordering the agent to follow him. When the man started to pick up his pace, Lee and Jensen both took off running.  
  
Wu looked back over his shoulder, and Lee noticed that he was pulling something from beneath his jacket. He barely managed to duck as the bullet whizzed past his head. He squeezed off three rounds in response, finding his target with the third shot as Wu Zhen Mao sank to the ground. Lee knelt down and touched a finger to the man's neck, then called out to Jensen to get an ambulance.  
  
Lee remained there for a moment. His breathing was labored, and he felt every beat of his heart as it pounded in his chest. When his body began to settle down from the sudden rush, he pushed himself up and headed back toward the Agency van, after telling Jensen to stay with Wu and wait for the paramedics.  
  
He'd just reached for the handle of the door to the van when the sound of Amanda's quivering voice caused him to spin around in surprise.  
  
"Lee! Is it over? Are you all right?" she asked, all in a rush.  
  
"Amanda! What the. . ." he started, then stopped to ask, "Didn't we agree you were gonna take Jenny and go home?"  
  
"I know we did, Lee. . .but I was so worried about you," she admitted, reaching out to stroke his chest with gentle fingers. She searched his eyes and took hold of his hand as she went on, "Now take it easy, okay? Jenny's fine. I took her over to the Carters'. I just had to be sure you were all right."  
  
"Well, as far as the case, we've got both Aziz Khalil and Wu Zhen Mao. Wu's been shot and we're waiting for an ambulance, and I need to check in with our guys here about a few other things, but other than that, I guess you could say it's over."  
  
"Good," she said softly, with a relieved smile. "How about the Winston family?"  
  
He smiled and rubbed his thumb over her fingers as he replied, "I'm sure they're fine, Amanda, thanks to your quick thinking in there, but to tell the truth, I haven't seen them for the last half hour or so. Maybe they went back over to the stables with Katie."  
  
She nodded to him and looked back over her shoulder toward the stables. "Yeah, prob'ly so. . .I'll go check on them while you finish up here." Slowly, reluctantly, she let go of his hand, but not before gazing into his eyes and asking, "So. . .how are you feeling? You look awfully tired, Sweetheart. . .you really jumped into this thing with both feet, you know? Are you sure you're ready for all this?" she asked, circling her hand in the air. "I mean, look. . .you haven't had any sleep in almost 36 hours now, and. . ."  
  
He held up a hand and broke in, "Amanda. . .stop. I'm fine. . .well, I'll be fine. . .once we get all the loose ends wrapped up tonight." He gestured with a sideways wave of his hand and gave her an indulgent smile. "I promise you I'll get some rest. . .and you're right, I probably did jump back into case work a little too soon." He spread his hands out in front of him as he went on, "But look. . .I just happened to be there, taking a nice, peaceful morning walk, when the case started to break open. It could've happened to anyone," he insisted, calling to mind all the times Amanda had spoken the same exact words to him. "Remember that innocent trip you made to the train station?"  
  
"Yeah," she answered, chuckling to herself and feeling oddly comforted that the shoe was on the other foot, so to speak. "All right. . .see you at home in a little while," she said, accepting his promise as they parted with a soft kiss.  
  
Lee watched her retreating form as she made her way to the stables, smiling to himself at his good fortune. . .how lucky he'd been when she'd 'just happened to be there' on that fateful day so long ago. As she vanished from his sight, he turned and climbed into the van, shouting, "Robertson! Where's that bomb squad?!?"  
  
TO BE CONTINUED (tag, etc.) 


	15. Brighter Days to Come

Stormy Weather II  
  
by matahari2  
  
Summary / Disclaimers, etc.: See Chapter 1  
  
Chapter Fifteen – Brighter Days to Come  
  
Stetson Residence – Late Saturday Night  
  
Pulling the "Huntington Farms" van into the Stetsons' driveway, Frank Duffy shifted into neutral and put on the parking brake. He looked over at Lee and said, "Hey. . .it's great having you back, Scarecrow!"  
  
Lee smiled at his old comrade-in-arms and shook his hand. "Thanks, Frank, but I wouldn't exactly say I'm back."  
  
"Could've fooled me!"  
  
"Well, thank you," Lee acknowledged, "but the truth is, I kinda jumped the gun on this case, health-wise, so don't look for me in the office for a few more weeks." He stepped down and out of the van, waving goodbye as he said, "Thanks for the lift! See you later!"  
  
********  
  
'Worn-out' didn't begin to describe the exhaustion Lee felt as he trudged up the steps to the front porch and let himself in. He padded back to the empty family room, where Amanda had evidently been reading. . .an open book lay face-down on the coffee table. He kept his voice low as he called out, "Amanda?"  
  
Just then, she came out of the kitchen with a steaming cup of tea. She set the cup down on the table and came to greet him with a smile and a warm embrace. "Sweetheart! You're home!"  
  
"Yeah. . .and none too soon," he rasped, as he rested his chin on her shoulder. He pulled back slightly and kissed her lips tenderly, then glanced away for a moment, as if lost in thought.  
  
Amanda examined his care-worn face and stroked his back gently, waiting ten interminable seconds before whispering his name. "Lee? What's the matter?"  
  
He returned his weary gaze to her and said, "Oh. . .sorry. . .I was just thinking about the case. I don't know, Amanda. . .was it worth it? Did we do enough?"  
  
She searched his eyes and shook her head in disbelief. "What do you mean, Lee? We saved at least three lives tonight, and probably quite a few more, by keeping the Firefly plans safe!"  
  
"Yeah. . ." he nodded, "but that seems like such a small thing."  
  
She slipped out of his embrace and tugged at his hand, leading him to come and sit with her on the couch. "What—you mean the micro-UAV's?" she questioned. "Okay. . .it's true, they may not mean much all by themselves, but in the grand scheme of things. . ." she said, then hesitated, resting her chin in her palm and searching for a memory, the just-right analogy that would break through his cloud of discontent. Suddenly, her eyes brightened and she turned in her seat to face him. She touched his arm as she went on, "Lee? Remember that case we worked on for that General over at the Potomac Weapons and Armaments Center, ages ago?"  
  
"The Alan Squires case. . .yeah," he remembered bitterly. "So?"  
  
"So. . .d'you remember what Alan stole from them?" she prompted. "The three sheets of plia-film that contained the MAB air-defense plans?"  
  
"Right. . .you had to overlay them, one over the other, to see the whole plan. And?"  
  
"And. . ." she stretched out with a hint of irritation in her voice, "each one was just a piece of the puzzle, Lee. . .just like the micro-UAV's and the global Hawk and the stealth fighters. Every piece is important, right?"  
  
"Yeah. . .I guess you're right, there," he admitted. "I just wish that sometime, we could stop these guys once and for all, you know?"  
  
"Mm-hm!" she agreed. She grinned and tilted her head to the side slightly as she murmured, "It's good to have goals and dreams!"  
  
"Right," he said with a wistful smile. "I guess Rome wasn't built in a day." He wrapped his hand over hers and gave it a gentle squeeze, whispering, "So. . .coming up to bed soon?"  
  
"Sure, Sweetheart. You go on. . .I'll just finish my tea here and be right up," she whispered, leaning in for a kiss before Lee pushed himself up off the couch and dragged his tired body toward the stairs.  
  
When she approached their bedroom door less than ten minutes later, Amanda heard the sounds of his slow, even breathing. In the moonlit room, she stood beside the bed and studied his over-tired features, now resting peacefully, and a small smile came to her lips. 'Sleep well, Sweeheart,' she wished, as she considered all he'd been through over the last several weeks. . .the brain surgery, the radiation treatments. . .and all their miserable side effects. And to top it all off, these last two days on the case had been too much, too soon. She brushed away silent tears as she shrugged out of her robe and slipped beneath the covers, reminding herself not to set the alarm.  
  
********  
  
Stetson Residence – Three Weeks Later  
  
Early Saturday Morning  
  
While he'd endured the last weeks of his radiation treatments, Lee had set up shop in their home office and was already spending twenty to thirty hours a week going over case files and conferring with Alberta Kingston and the agents under his command. He was reasonably sure he was ready to go back to the office the following Monday, as long as he felt well enough. He was reading through several emails when he heard Amanda rapping on the office door and calling to him.  
  
"Lee? Are you in there? Would you like a cup of coffee?"  
  
"Yeah. . .sure, come on in!" he called back as she pushed the door open and brought him the steaming mug. "Thanks," he said with a bright smile. "Hey. . .what's Jenny up to this morning?"  
  
"Mother and Kurt already came to pick her up Lee. . .don't you remember? They're taking her to the amusement park in Baltimore, and then they're gonna stop in and see Phillip later."  
  
"Oh yeah, I remember," he said absently, his eyes glued to the computer screen once again. "Amanda, look! I just got a message from Senator Winston. He wanted us to know how much they appreciated our help. . .Katie and Anne are both doing fine, and the three of them are just getting back from a trip to Hawaii."  
  
"Oh that's great, Sweetheart, I'm glad for them!" she exclaimed cheerily, reading the message from the screen as she placed her hands on his shoulders. "It's too bad Kristin has such a long way to go. . .two more oral surgeries, after they take the wires out of her jaws. But you know what, Lee? She's already back working at Applegate Farm, in the office, at least."  
  
Lee turned the chair around and grinned up at Amanda. "Good for her! You know. . ." he drew it out, fixing her with a penetrating gaze as he stood face to face with her, "she reminds me of this beautiful brunette I know. . .she's a lot stronger than she looks," he finished with a wink.  
  
"Mm-hm?" Amanda purred, sliding her hands up his chest to his shoulders. "And just who is this 'beautiful brunette'?"  
  
He slipped his hands around her waist and pulled her so close, their lips almost touched as he hummed his reply, "I'll never tell. . .you see, she's married, and. . ."  
  
"Oh? And her husband. . .is he the jealous type?" she teased, as her fingers lightly caressed the sides of his face.  
  
"The worst," he whispered, pressing his lips to hers. He deepened the kiss, and his hands began to wander into recently-unfamiliar territory.  
  
"Mmm. . .Mr. Stetson!" Amanda shouted in a whispered tone, not moving away by so much as a millimeter. "Are you sure about this? I mean. . ."  
  
"Mm-hm. . .positive," he murmured, as he trailed kisses across her jawline. His warm breath tickled her ear as he whispered, "Some of the best exercise I can get. . .I looked it up!"  
  
THE END  
  
********  
  
Author's Note: In case you were wondering, so far as I know, no one in my family has ever had a brain tumor. Most of the realism in this story regarding diagnosis, treatment and patient experiences came from the National Cancer Institute website. If, God forbid, you ever need information about cancer and cancer treatments, I'd highly recommend you check out this site: www.cancer.gov  
  
Additional background information came from the websites for the U. S. Senate and the Department of Defense (they really do refer to themselves as DoD). Strangely enough, the part of the story that sounds as though it was made up out of whole cloth really did happen to a family member who manages a stable complex in Virginia, although we never did learn what it was that spooked the horse.  
  
Reader poll: Would you like to see more of the Stormy Weather universe? Please let me know. And thanks for reading! matahari2:) 


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